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 Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:09 am
Coming out of the lush vegetation, the pale hued lioness stepped out on the beach, stopping only once to shake her pelt in an attempt to dry it off; the bushes and plants had dripped water over her when she'd brushed past them, making her look almost as if she'd taken a dip in the ocean. It was amusing to note that lately she spent more time wet than dry, however, she merely chuckled lightly at the thought as she padded the beach. The sun was starting to light the skies in the horizon, coming out of the ocean, creating colors she'd never seen till she'd come here.
It was as if the sun itself, and the waters were asking where she'd been all her life, "Busy," she replied the unasked question, "Searching... running, learning," she breathed the words as they came to her, sitting at the shore, the waters lapping at her feet, "Lots of things... sisters to talk to, fathers to fear, mothers to dislike; they all kept me from here. A family to love, a father to look up to, and a lifetime of learning; I couldn't be here to get them," for some reason, and due to the way she spoke to sun and ocean, it was almost as if she expected them to smile back at her, nothing odd about the notion.
In fact, the lioness remain sitting there, talking as if there were some invisible ghost in front of her that only she could see, "I wouldn't change it for the world though, that time, because it's thanks to it that I am me; I like me, the way I am, and I love those that care for the me I am now," smiling sweetly at the display, the sun still only peeking over the waters, Misae tilted her head, "I wonder if you know... where my sisters are, and if they are as lucky as I am to have found a loving family; we were wrong. It wasn't blood that tied the lions. It was something else we were simply denied."
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:30 am
He tipped one ear towards the ocean, almost expecting or even oping to hear it... but he did not. He never would, it seemed, and that was alright by him. Nyota didn't care for talking to such... creatures. The very thought of it gave him the creeps. "You weren't about last night, I was worried." He phrased it as a statement but she would realize it was a question. In the end, though, Nyota wasn't entirely certain he WANTED to know. He had a thought of whom she was with, and though Misae might think herself still to young--if she thought of these things at all which he freverently hoped she did not--she was of age for another lion to be interested in her. And it was obvious that Hadithi was such a lion.
"You and I need to have a talk."
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:03 pm
The smaller female must've heard the question in his voice, because although she never faltered in her, she turned to fix her red eyes on Nyota's form beside her, "The winds stirred, and the sky cracked," she began, "I was running through the beach; I do enjoy the feel of the water at my paws but then... I was told that the storm coming here would be strong, and that it was best for me to take cover; that it would not calm for hours to come," she never once mentioned whom it was that had told her this; it was left in the air, for anyone to guess, however, it was clear within her eyes it had been the winds themselves that had told her this, even if she remain silent about it.
The way she spoke made it seem as if she were almost partially used to not mentioning the wind when around others that didn't share her views, for after all, though the petite huntress was naive, she was far from stupid. In fact, some of Nyota's on cunning, sly mind seemed to have rubbed off on her, and though her intentions were always crystal clear, her upbringing showed at times, special when a suave paw was required to smooth out a situation, "I ran for cover then," her head motioned towards the trees, "But they were not enough; I was told of some cave, and took shelter there for the night," she paused, looking almost thoughtful for a moment, "I found Hadithi there, with... another lion," the wheels in her mind were turning, it was obvious as she walked, "He was black, large, and they were sitting there, telling stories; I joined them. Curled up to the side and listened. I left as soon as the storm allowed me to," her voice was sweet, understanding as she faced Nyota again, "I had the distinct impression I was interfering; I was wanted there, but something told me something was going to take place. A ritual? A welcome? I do not know; I left them to it. And now, I am here."
It was clear that story-telling was not as much of a forte for her as singing was, but still, it relayed the information pleasantly for the male as they walked along the shore, "I was not worried," it was a blunt statement, however, not one meant out of malice or rudeness; far from it. That much was obvious as her red gaze returned to him; trust, devotion, love... it all shone within her green lined orbs, for in her mind, there was simply nothing that could take her father down. He was the fastest, strongest, and most intelligent lion of them all.
While still gazing at him, he spoke again, and though Misae hesitated in her steps, for just a bare second, she suddenly smiled, "Are we going to go back then?" her question might've taken others by surprise; it had nothing to do with what they were talking about, but she seemed keen in looking into his eyes, noting that what she saw in them was something she'd seen only one within the male's eyes, "I was not surprised when the notion was whispered at me in my sleep," still, what she spoke seemed to be gibberish, yet she knew Nyota would know what she was talking about perfectly well, "She's lovely though; I was waiting. I didn't see it that day, but later, I saw. In my sleep."
Being a seer was something strange; the way it affected Misae was almost... gentle in a way however. It showed in the way she walked, talked, and smiled at her father, almost knowingly, "Are we going back then?" she repeated the question, and nowhere did she mention anything about staying.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:03 pm
Perhaps Nyota should have been used to this but he wasn't. He blinked when it dawned on him what she was talking about--She'd heard it! His confession to Truth! For some reason that was distasteful to his mind; perhaps it had to do with the embarrassment he felt at her having known, and probably before he did at that! He shook it off, mane flying about him again, and tried to pretend that he hadn't just been completely caught off guard. The admiration he'd seen in her eyes before was something that he never wanted to go away.
"Yes," He replied with a nod, "We are going back I...." He frowned. Pausing in his steps, the male looked all about them. The shore, the surf, the trees, the wind... She loved it here. She thrived here. Was he really selfish enough to take it away from her? Yet...
A white shell on the sands winked up at him and he sighed. He wanted to go back with a need that surpassed anything he'd ever felt before. "Yes," He repeated with a finality to his voice, "Yes, we're going back."
Looking upon her, Nyota thought about going into the talk he'd really wished to have with her. The talk that he'd been dreading since he'd realized she'd come "of age." However, considering the nearby presence now of not one but two males that could easily be interested in his beloved daughter, he thought better of having it here. Elawadiyi was a long ways a way from here.. it would be easier to talk to her about such things while on the road.
Especially since he'd be courting Tsi when they returned.
That was an embarassing thought, but he didn't allow it to show. It was something he'd already decided upon, of course, and he didn't wish to back out of it. Perhaps it'd be healthy for her to witness... some of that. He made a soft noise of consternation, unsure for once in his movements. A moment later his mind made up and he leaned forward to nuzzle her, "Then you know why i wish to go... Will you follow me?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:23 pm
"I love you."
It was as simple as that; all what she said, and all what she though were reduced to though three simple words. They were voiced happily, almost as if there couldn't have been any other way about them; as if that was just the way things were meant to be. There was devotion in her gaze, meant only for one that had saved her from the world when it'd turned on her and tried to eat her, engulf her into the night. There was nothing that Nyota could've asked, that Misae wouldn't have gladly done; had he told her to lay on her back, exposing her stomach and baring her neck for him to place his jaws around, she would've done it.
Not only that, but she would've done it without a blink; always knowing deep down that even though his jaws were around her neck, he'd never squeeze. It was a trust that ran so deeply that no one could have convinced her that he wasn't, in fact, her father. He might've not been blood related, but the bond they shared ran deeper than blood; to a point the little white lioness believed maybe, just maybe, he was her father, in spirit, or soul or something.
She couldn't explain it, nor did she feel the need to, really, and instead smiled at her father as he faltered, waiting for him to catch himself as he spoke, "I don't like goodbyes," she said as she finally leaned into the nuzzle, purring loudly, "I wish to leave without goodbyes," there was a logic to her thinking, however, what it was, she did not share with Nyota, rather, she allowed him to blindly guess as to why, "I wish to leave a mark here; a footprint... like it matters that I was here," and this said, she pressed deeper into the sand once as they walked, the water coming to lap at the print, engulfing the other, but not quite managing to erase the deeper one till it'd licked at it several times, "I love you."
The words came again as if an explanation, a clear 'of course I will follow you'. Even if it was said in Misae's own way, a smile still upon her maw as she tilted her head, "You wish to tell me something else though," she could tell; it was in the way he walked, in the way he spoke, "Am I wrong? What is it?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:44 pm
"it is... that which can wait for another day," He replied to her last question first. The words she'd said still bothered him, still scared him, though not as much as they would have before. He wasn't the kind to admit such feelings so readily and he'd already admitted quite a lot here lately. Yet... he did love her as much as she did him--she was HIS daughter and he'd rip apart anyone that tried to tell him otherwise.
That had, actually, been a nightmare of his for quite some time; that one or more of her parents would come looking fo her. She said her "original" father was dead but.. it was still a nightmare that someone would try to take her away from him. Yet another sign that he'd become enamored with this young thing. Shaking his head slightly, Nyota smiled upon her and tossed his head towards the inlands. "Lets go then, no goodbyes." Indeed, he was more than happy for that.
No goodbyes meant no opportunity for that crazy a** of a lion to talk her into staying. That was the last thing he wanted; lately his nightmares, when they happened, had turned to that male taking her rather than her parents. Yes, Nyota was a very possessive lion. "I..."
He began to walk towards the jungle further away from the general place that Hadithi was known to be. There would be no chance encounters. In a rush, he finally said it, "Iloveyoutoo."
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Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:01 am
Her smile was brilliant as she gazed at Nyota, "I know," as if there had been no doubt about; as if even if he'd never spoken the words in all his life, she'd have known all along, "I'm glad you said it though," because, truthfully, she was; that much showed in the way she regarded him, speeding up her pace till she was walking right along his side, pausing briefly to lean herself against him, her head tucking ever so slightly under his chin before she pulled away.
Never once had Misae thought about her true parents coming after her; her father had died, long ago, and his ghost was content with haunting the Oasis. The pale lioness figured he'd always stay there, guarding the place he'd held with an iron fist in life. It was no doubt his presence that had made her so uncomfortable those first few months of life. Her mother had fled, somewhere. Only the gods knew where, and as far as Misae was concerned, the green marked lioness held no control over her, "A mother that abandons her cubs almost as soon as she's given birth to them, and leaves to only the gods know where... leaving them to be fed by others, does not deserve to be considered a mother," it must've been almost creepy, how her mind had shifted to such a topic, however, it wasn't all that odd.
She'd seen the haunted gaze he'd sent her way after all. Knowing what he was thinking had nothing to do with being a seer, but rather, with knowing the way her father's mind worked. Sometimes she thought her father thought her to be completely naive; she thought he didn't quite think she noticed certain aspects of him, however, fact was that growing up with someone else... spending so much time with him, forced her to see both the good aspects and the bad.
She loved him despite his faults. For his faults. They did not matter to her. She'd seen worse, from birth, "No goodbyes," however, she paused her step momentarily to look over her shoulder, taking in the landscape for the briefest of moments, allowing the wind and ocean breeze to play with her hair before she continued to walk. Never again did she look back as she padded ahead; in fact, she smiled as she looked off into the horizon, "You look different," a pause as she seemed to consider her words, looking childishly innocent as she brought a paw to her maw in thought, "As if.... you've been touched. Who touched you?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 5:44 pm
"Touched?" He chuckled with a snort. Tossing his head as he lead her up the sides of the cliffs and away from the sea shore, he couldn't help a little more mild laughter. Somehow the thought of Truth touching him or allowing herself to be touched was more than a little hilarious as well as ludicrous. He knew he was taking it in an entirely different manner than she had meant it, but for a moment he allowed himself that slight perversion. Shaking it off before he could be called on to explain what was so funny, he grinned a little and shook his head once more, "In a sense, it was Truth."
That was all he would say on the subject, though he thought she might understand better than he would have. As much as he loved the metaphorical nature of poetry, not even he would have had enough imagination to truly have understood that sort of statement. Misae was not he, however, as was evident by now. Unlike her father she was a bright star in the drab existence of "reality." She.... was truth as much as irrationality. In fact, she seemed to lean to the irrational side of things. It was... strange, to say the least, that the two of them got along as well as they did.
"Sometimes there is little else a mother can do," Nyota replied to the comment though he knew she'd not meant it to be replied to. He couldn't help but let his memories travel back to his own mother and his raising. He'd been far more lenient with Misae than his own family had been with him--one normally said that their parenting habits would come from their own upbringing. Nyota defied that, and he was glad that he had, but some part of him also wondered if there were areas he should have covered more thoroughly. "But that doesn't excuse abandonment, especially at such a young age. You're right."
He returned the leaning with a nuzzle to her cheek as they finally crested the top of the cliff back up onto the plateau. If this beach were to ever flood... well, the lions beneath would probably know in time to get to the cliffs, but many creatures would drown. He gave a little snort when his eyes caught sight of a dark brown shape against the white sand. A flash of blue indicated that the lion had been watching them, before he turned to stare out at the sea. Nyota rolled his eyes, unconsciously putting himself between Misae and the way back down to the beach, before he turned away. "We've a long journey ahead of us. We should make as much time as we can today."
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:50 am
She never looked back.
That was probably why she didn't notice the brown figure on the beach; the fact her father situated himself between them helped this too, however, it didn't mean she didn't know he was there. Misae found herself breaking her own promise at that moment; she'd promised herself she'd not say goodbye, and yet, as she walked down the cliff, following her father away from the beach and the lands, she allowed her head to raise slightly, the winds that travelled the land whipping at her form before they headed for the beach, and it was to that gust of wind that she sent her goodbye to him.
It was not spoken, nor even breathed, but she knew the wind would carry the unspoken word to him as she left. She'd not wanted to speak the word because uttering it meant she was leaving, and she deeply believed she'd left a part of her on that beach. Tell truth, the pale lioness wasn't entirely sure what part of her she'd left, or what purpose that part would hold, and yet... she knew, without a doubt. It was there.
"There is always a choice," just like she'd chosen to leave; to follow Nyota. There was always a way of choosing, and the soul that chose was always responsible for said choice. Be it good or bad. It made a twisted sort of sense within Misae's mind; her biological father had chosen to be evil, just like she chose to go against that blood. Her mother had chosen to leave, leaving her cubs to be fed by others. Leaving them alone. Letting them be chased away by monsters in the dark night.
She paused at the notion, frowning suddenly, "You know, he had wings," it was said out loud, however, it was clear she was thinking out loud, "Black wings. And he flew," another pause as they walked, heading for the lands she knew were calling her father back, "I'd never seen a lion fly.... not ever seen a lion... look like he did. Because... I think he was a lion," she looked over at Nyota, almost as if for reassurance as they walked, "Have you ever seen a lion fly?" it was ironically interesting, how Misae's eyes had been opened by Deception, while Nyota's had been kicked open by Truth, however, there was no way for them to know this.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:14 am
Nyota turned an ear to her at that comment. She'd mentioned her monster several times before--and that was how he thought of it, HER monster. And though he thought that she'd mentioned it flying before, he hadn't thought about it like that. of course, he'd also never met a Goddess until last night. Though his mind didn't easily comprehend things such as Truth and Deception and the other supernatural worlds like that of the deities, he'd begun to accept the existance of such.
"I have," He nodded, "She was a beautiful lioness that flew in from the moon. I don't know where she came from or why..." That was a bit of a lie, but he didn't think it proper to tell another's businesses like that. "She called herself Truth."
The lion pondered that a moment. They were on their journey-pace now, a ground-eating lope that they could maintain for hours. Most likely the pair would remain moving until they found a waterhole to drink from, which could take well into nightfall. It didn't matter, though, they were used to it. He wondered if the smell of salt would ever leave his fur.
Sniffing slightly, the male once more addressed his daughter, "Truth she was, indeed, I won't deny it. All of her kind are like that, from what she said; embodiments of some force of nature or concept. She mentioned a... sister of hers, one Irrationality that plagues the shore back there. Irrationality, she said, gave birth to those lions like your Hadithi." He couldn't help the tinge of superiority in his voice when he said that. A part of him hoped this knowledge would help to steer her further away from that strange, nonsensical male.
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Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:04 pm
It was amusing to note that little was able to surprise Misae enough to make her step falter; much less to get the young, pale lioness to stare. As her father spoke, and despite possessing the so called 'sight', Misae practically tripped, her eyes firmly focused on her father's figure.
A lioness. That came in from the moon.
Well, she'd be damned. Hell had frozen over, no doubt, or she'd died and gone to heaven because here was her father, talking to her about supernatural things. Almost as if telling her a story of some sort. To say that Misae was surprised, was an understatement; she'd never thought Nyota to say such things. After all, she was used to the male saying only but the blunt truth... he'd only believe that what his eyes were showing him, and somehow, the idea of her father speaking of a winged lioness, made her instantly believe that not only were they real, but tangible enough for her father to believe in.
"Truth?" she blinked as she gathered herself back, her frame shaking, as if she were getting rid of non-existent cramps, "Do you think the one I saw was Truth too? He looked scary. Was truth scary as well as beautiful?" she shifted into journey pace easily; it was almost second nature for her. She'd travelled so much, and so far that it was simply something she did at the back of her mind. Misae did not tire easily; she'd been well trained, and were she in need to in the future, she'd be able to hunt far from her homelands, where ever it was she might decide to settle, "Irrationality?" there came a pause as she digested it, "That's like... madness, crazy?" she asked as she tilted her head to one side.
For whatever reason... the idea of Hadithi's 'mother' being irrationality, did not bother her at all, in fact, she had somehow expected it, "Hadithi said that their mother was blue, but he said she was the ocean... not irrationality. Is the ocean irrational then?" another pause, "And if she gave birth to them.... who do you think gave birth to me?" she was no fool; she knew she was different. She did not know she was a 'seer' per say, but she knew she was not like the rest. That much had been obvious from day one, alas, she'd never know why, "Am I mad? Am I irrationality's child too? Is that why I'm different...? Is that why I can hear the wind?" she wasn't sad, but she did sound troubled. After all, she'd never asked to be different. It was just the way she was, "Is that why my mother left?" the last few words were whispered, almost as if they were a taboo, her gaze raising to look at Nyota, "I don't want you to leave..."
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Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:27 pm
Nyota noticed her falter but didn't turn. It was a part of the way they worked; she had to pick up her own slack, unless it was killing her. At the moment it wasn't and wouldn't, and so he kept going and let her catch up at her own pace. Beyond that, he knew why she'd skipped a beat. It hurt his pride to admit belief in something as ludicrous as flying lions, yet hadn't he seen it with his own two eyes? There was too much physical evidence (scent on his fur and paw prints on the beach) to write the experience off as a hallucination or dream, and thus he'd come to accept that it was, indeed, Truth. That SHE was Truth.
Well, things changed on occasion, they had to, and he was no exception to that rule. Hadn't he already changed to include Misae in his life? Now he would be making room for another. It was a strange thing, change, but he'd given up fighting it. He still hadn't quite realized that change had, in fact, made him a quite different creature than the one he'd started out as. Fatherhood had softened him a little, and while he still wasn't above using other creatures for his own gain, he also wasn't devoid of reason not to do that, either.
"I doubt that was Truth," he shook his head, "she had blue eyes, not red.... besides that, she didn't seem the kind to do something underhanded like that. Her... gift comes from pure, blunt Truth. Not scaring little cubs across a desert."
Nyota couldn't be certain of this, of course, but he thought it a good guess. It seemed to make some sort of truth; he stifled the urge to snort. As Misae caught up to him, he turned his head to watch her for a moment. A mere nod was all that was given to her definition of Irrationality, as it was complete enough. There was more too it than that, he thought, but the base definition was good enough to work with, especially in what they were discussing.
A few moments later, however, he wished he'd taken the time to elaborate. "Well, Misae, if he's a child of madness he wouldn't have to know or say the truth, would he? He could have made the entire story he told you up and have no idea that he's lieing.." Hadithi paused, sensing how close he was not only to being very unfair to the boy but to lying to his daughter. The first he could handle, the second... well. "As it is, Truth and I had a long discussion on that note. The... what he said about those Muses... actually is True. If you listen they DO talk."
He frowned at that, not liking it in the least, but her whisper a second later made him glad he'd said it. "I'm not going to leave, Misae." He brushed against her, then, keeping their sides pressed close. "You ARE different, yes... but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I like you just as you are, don't I?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:58 am
She seemed to hesitate, only barely though, as if pondering something that had only just occurred to her, "I think... that scaring me wasn't the objective of his plan, actually..." she breathed, her eyes narrowing as she padded onward, her tail flicking as it swatted away a bothersome fly, "I think that was merely collateral damage; something needed to achieve the greater... good?" there was hesitation in the last word, almost as if Misae weren't entirely sure she'd picked the right one, however, once said, she rolled her shoulders, an elegant shrug that allowed her father to see her body was becoming that of a graceful adult fast.
"Truth," she tasted the word on her tongue, then arched a brow; it was clear she was about to ask something but thought better of it. After all, whatever Truth had told Nyota was their own business. She had no right to know, unless he wished to tell her himself; that aside, she had a pretty good idea what it was Truth had told him, and had little doubt that leaving the beach and heading away towards the Ela lands was a direct consequence, "Of course they talk," she found herself smiling at this point, "I'd always known... deep down, that I wasn't mad. But I'm different despite that, aren't I?" as he answered her, she offered him another smile, allowing herself to walk pressed up against him.
Indeed.
Different could be good. Maybe it was fate. Who controlled fate anyhow? The gods? Did gods even exhist? Were they like muses?
"When we get there..." the lioness paused in her talking, a smile creeping along her maw, for after all, despite her glaring differences, she was still a female at heart, and a romantic, "Tell her you saw her reflection on the sea's waters, where the moon shone down; it sounds romantic. I'd go for it," twinkling her eyes at him just barely, she rushed forward a few paces, walking ahead, offering him enough space and time to sort his thoughts out. Poor Misae had no way of knowing just how true her statement had been; though Nyota had not seen 'her' in the sea, he's seen her in the moon after all. What the growing lioness DID know, however, was that her father needed time and space to sort himself out if he was going to manage what he aimed for. Despite what he wished to think, she was old enough to harbour a ghost of an idea of just what was going to happen when they reached Ela lands.
She wanted to allow him to prepare himself, and she offered him her support by smiling over her shoulder before padding on. That was the way life and love were, after all.
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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:14 am
Nyota, too, was not one to be easily suprised but his daughter's coy suggestion shook him to the core. Ears perking instantly, his wide eyes glanced down at her just before she marched on ahead of him. For that he was grateful, despite her glance over her shoulder, she wouldn't see the majority of his stumbled step or wide-eyed blinking. He'd thought she'd known little, if nothing, about the world of "romance," but what she'd said implied differently. Oh, she might not know the full adult meaning behind some things, but she had a good start. Too good.
He frowned, she was right though. That would be a good... line? Oh god, was he really reduced to that? Nyota snorted; he had little idea what else to do, in truth. While he'd seduced a few in his time he certainly had never courted a woman, which was much different in the long run. His learning told him that, and he thought he could pull it off, but it would require a lot of thought. Yes, he was grateful Misae had taken the lead for now. With her up there and out of the conversation for awhile, he set himself to planning.
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