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 Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 10:00 am
The big, strong male moved across the Pride Lands with slow, careful strides. His paws pressing down on the dirt laid path, bordered by tall grasses and boulders that protruded from the ground. Today he had planned on heading home, to his real home, for a brief while by skipping out on hunting and some patrolling for the day. Though it was not his duty to do so, he liked to welcome some of the rogues into their new territory. As for the hunting, he believed that going out of his way to do this was much more important, after all he could simply mooch off his cousins, right? Otherwise, Ez would be bothered all night if he were to get food and start munching on it while the father slept.
Zeki crossed his usual stop to stare out at Pride Rock and continued on toward his father's den for a quick stop. In his maw was something that stood out greatly upon his form. It was a feather. Like his feather from before at home, this one was also very special. Having to run into the Goddess of Lightning, he was able to obtain yet another of a Goddess. She was a very charming and dazzling female, but she had to leave... hopefully, he does get to meet her again so he would have to watch his fur. If you knew what I mean. As he walked on toward home, thoughts of the adventures he had out here, closer to the border of the Pride Lands. He had met Hidaya, a sweet and cheerful little hybrid that sang a song like the Goddesses themselves. There was Tizona, the little flying spy cub. He had met and tried to woo the Goddess of Lightning which was prized with a feather and a hope of meeting her and another the next time they meet. He also met the most dazzling mortal female! Though he felt sorry for her hardships, but she was a mother and she was a beautiful female... she deserved to be happier. Then there was Salem, the strange lion from the south, he could not help but grow a little close to her.
After putting his feather away, he looked out at the sight he had not seen in many cycles. This was his home... but not a smile came to his face, a slight frown however. His mother was nowhere to be seen, she was not home and if she was, why wasn't he here with her and out there with Uncle Ezeoha? Another reason was because his father was not here with him... As he stood there, he felt like things were missing that just made it feel... well, it just didn't feel like home.
Zeki walked slowly toward Pride Rock in hopes of finding an old friend of his, perhaps the only friend that he had left around here that still remembered him. Ophos was probably starting a family. He had no idea what had happened to Leji. As for Pam, well, the same goes for him too. However, there was Safuma, she was a Princess so she still had to be here! That was right, Safuma was the one he had wanted to see, the friend he had the longest and the one he trusted the most. Hope renewed, he smiled and started to run.
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:54 pm
Whereas Ezekiel's life was bustling, Safuma was finding her own world to be quite dull. In truth, a majority of the blame was on herself. She simply didn't find herself doing much of anything except searching for those who had left her rather than making new friends. It seemed like ages since she had seen her friend Nsundu, and she had longed to see her ever since. Nsundu had made everything about her life seem light and inconsequential which, frankly, Safuma found fascinating and incredibly enlightening. Though she no longer felt hindered by the past, she still felt herself slipping towards that bitterness now and again when she wandered the savannah alone. Where had Nsundu gone? Not even Zu knew. And she hadn't seen much of Zu, but again that was mostly her fault. Intombi was another lion she would've liked to see again, but they were gone. Disappeared. Poof!
Zeki being gone was just the last straw. She was restless without someone to talk to, someone to play with and tumble in the watering holes with, someone to generally just pester. Maybe he'd forgotten about her. She knew he hadn't gone too far. Just to see his Uncle and his family, and they lived in the Pridelands, didn't they? Or near to? That was a scary thought. What if he was farther away than she thought? Granted, the Pridelands was a large enough territory that she didn't see everyone who lived within it's borders all the time. There were probably a number of them who she had yet to meet at all! And she was only one little cub.
Of course, she wasn't a cub anymore. She was a juvenile. And while that wasn't old enough to do much of anything, it was old enough to know not to mope about. Shaking out her pelt, Safuma lifted her tail as she stood and made her way off the large termite mound and back to the firm earth. Her crimson eyes took one last look at the horizon before it was once again obscured by the grass. If she stood up on her hind legs (awkwardly), she could see above the blades, but she was still short enough that on all fours she was pretty much blind in all but the shortest of fields.
Yawning loudly, her fangs glinted in the sun as her lips spread. They weren't sharp enough to do much danger to anything but a mouse, but they were obviously showing some potential nevertheless. She would grow up to be a grand hunter - when she grew up. That seemed so far off. Finding herself walking in circles around the termite civilization, Safuma idly wandered back to it and climbed to the top so that she had a clear view of the Pridelands. Her mother's kingdom - what should've been hers... AH! Not that again. She growled her frustration at her own rebellious thoughts, shaking her head and digging her claws into the crumbly dirty. She could see her home from here! And vaguely make out shapes on the rock's sides. Nannies, no doubt, and perhaps scouts and other members of the pride. Her mother was amongst them, likely as not, unless a skirmish had called her away or some other business. Sighing, Safuma looked once again towards the horizon, practically begging for something to entertain her.
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:15 pm
Zeki's run carried him very close toward Pride Rock, stopping short some as he let himself pant off. The run from Ezeoha's den to his own and to now worked him over quite a lot. Beads of sweat slide over his fur as he smiled, panting, and just waiting to do something. If he knew where she was, he would not be running around so aimlessly. He assumed she would be up at the promontory but he cannot go up there just yet. Likely the queen was up there and he was not going to just go up there all sweaty and tired, though he could care less. After all, the running was working toward his physical physique. His body was well toned, strong legs and a good body. His back was quite strong now after having recovered from Tizona's fall, so he could carry a light weight like a cub now, not that he was willing to try yet. Looking up at Pride Rock again, he was going to take a quick bathe and then go up to see if Safuma was around.
His path was set to the closest water hole, he knew it well as he had passed it many of times when he and his father ran. It was a good distance away so he took his time. His mind wandered to the females he had met again. Thinking back to the lessons he was told about females and their 'scent changes' he questioned himself. Would any of them be good as a mate for him? Would he be a good father? A great father? Would he end up like Ger with a loving female and lovely cubs? Will he end up as Uncle Ezeoha with many cubs but no female to love? Will he become like Uncle Trig and live in isolation; no love, no cubs? He had no idea of what the future held but if anything, he wanted to be like his father. A loving mate and cubs to protect and care for. He smiled to himself as his thoughts wandered.
He barely made it to the water hole when his eyes caught something off his route. He tilted his head a little as he looked at it. As time passed slowly, it dawned on him that it was a lion... rather a cub. Now what was a little cub doing out here by itself? Best be the good guy and take it home to the lovely, beautiful female it belonged to. Zeki smiled and headed in it's direction. Luckily, it's back was turned.
"Now, what are you doing way out here?" he questioned. As Zeki came closer, he paused in step as it became even clearer of who it was. "S-Safuma?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:19 pm
Everything was so still this far out from Pride Rock. She was close enough to still feel at home, but far enough out that she couldn't hear even a general hum of conversation. The only sound was the termites buzzing beneath her paws and around her head, angry at her intrusion but too small, even in a crowd, to do much to deter her. Occasionally she snapped at a cloud of little warrior insects, but without much conviction. They were merely protecting their home, after all, but she was still too lazy and too observed in her environment to move. The sun was so high and hot in the sky! Her crimson eyes moved heavenward to glare at the bright star, but instead she heard a voice.
Her ears twitched and then swiveled towards the source, one flicking idly as her face turned to view the speaker. After looking at the bright sky, it took a few moments for her to regain her sight well enough that she could truly see who was talking. Her voice made her start slightly, however, and her eyes creased as she tried to peer at the lion. It was a male, but it was only as her vision cleared of stars that she was able to make out the black tattoos. He had a mane, which was odd, and was quite a bit bigger than she. Eyes widening slowly, she nearly tumbled off the termine mound in her haste to get to him, "Zeki!"
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Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 3:33 pm
Zeki gave off a playful laugh as he got down in a playful crouching position, looking up at her. He was surprised that it was really her and that she was still the same as before, short but beautiful. She had a certain air about her that just made him want to play around, as if nothing quite mattered. Her smile was the same, now that he thought about it, cute. Her eyes were the same red as his, ones that he adored deeply as it showed his connection to the royal family. Though he be lower and further from Safuma as a distant relative, he still liked knowing that his place was here.
"Well, Miss Safuma, I have not seen you in many moons and I have missed you so!" he spoke rather dramatically, unable to keep a straight face for long as he started to laugh again. With a suave smile and a quiet, droning purr, he sat himself down and made a gesture for her to come over to him. Safuma was perhaps the only female he had ever considered his friend, someone he would not quite flirt with like those he met recently; Hidaya, Salem, etc. He had known her all his life and in his own mind, she seemed to be the reliable, loving, caring female that he grew up with. Though her world was with the royals and his with his father as a hunter, they did not get to see too much of another unless they were not busy with their own families.
"What have you been up to? You're mother alright? Your sisters? Brothers?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:56 pm
There was no specific special aire about Ezekiel. She enjoyed his company, he was her best friend - and she felt electrified in his company. As a growing little lioness, she knew that she could possibly have a crush on him (or atleast her idea of him since she had seen him last), but she'd be damned if she ever admitted to such a thing. In some ways she was too much of a tomboy and in others, she was simply too fond of her dignity. Besides, this encounter just proved one thing - he was older than she, and she was sure he was meeting plenty of pretty felines in his travels. But such sour thoughts didn't enter her mind just then, she was seeing her best friend for the first time in awhile, after all! Nothing but excitement and jubilation ran through her veins as her rump lifted and her forelegs folded so that she was tucked in a playbow, half-stalking kind of position.
"I missed you, too!" Her own exclamation was less dramatic and more childish, emphasized by the wrinkling of her nose as she giggled at his formal outburst. She had no idea what sort of 'trouble' he was getting into with the ladies, nor what kind of flirt he'd grown into. She only knew that he had a mane! And it certainly looked funny! He didn't look quite like an adult yet, but he truly looked grown up. It made her mildly uncomfortable, as if he were a stranger - a new nanny, but then again, she wasn't aware how much she had grown, herself. Not nearly as big a change as her friend, but nevertheless she was larger and loosing the plump cubness in exchange for a sleekening juvenile shape.
"Nothing!" She giggled, "Absolutely nothing and it's dreadful boring!" Her crimson eyes glittered with laughter before she shrugged at the mention of her family, "The same! All so busy that I don't really see them much, but they are good when I do get to spend time with them. Sara's still annoyingly girly, Zu is still... magical." She let loose a few giggles once again.
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:42 am
Zeki gave a rather feral growl as he bounced left and right before pouncing at her. Purposely missing, he laid down and curls around her side and back, nipping at her shoulder playfully with a chuckle. She was smaller than he was, odd since he had always thought she was older than he. She was always the one that beat him; she was the one that he cared about when it came to playing games. If she got hurt, he would stop. If she cried, he would try to comfort her. They were best friends and they stuck out for one another. Being apart from her with Ezeoha, made him wonder if their bonds were that strong. Being here beside her showed him it was true. It had been so long that he had met the female at the water hole after a late morning run. They had been friends, playing, talking, and just doing stuff to pass the time to amuse the Princess. The impression he got was that she was overlooked, ignored, and left alone too often so he took it upon himself to make his presence in her life a good one. He had no brothers or sisters, only his parents and friends, he would be bored himself if it weren’t for them.
Zeki nipped her shoulder again before resting his head down on his paws, looking up at her through thin strands of mane. He looked purely innocent and submissive to one such of high authority! A Princess and, above all, a female! “I missed you too, Saf, I mean, you didn’t even bother to come find me? So what does that say, you dun care about your good friend, Zex?” he joked as he smiles. He notice that she was growing more lithe and less chubby, if he recalled she was about his height when they were together, but males normally grew bigger than females, right? His height advantage was that of their species, she will grow soon but never to be bigger than him… perhaps not. He chuckled at the thought of Safuma being bigger than him and sitting on him. Amusing mental image.
“Oh, poor Saf! Boring you say? Dreadfully boring? Well, it seems like you and I need to fix that because no Pride Lander is boring!” he laughed, raising his head up high, keeping his body flat against the ground and around her. His tail thumping the ground lightly. She was a cute girl, all young females were cute. Those who were his age and older were beautiful, a more flirtish way than cute, he would never flirt with a younger female. It was how he was taught, it was how Ezeoha was. Safuma was a cute girl, the key word being was, but she was growing beautiful. However, always in his mind, she would always be his friend. For whatever reason, just could not see her as more than that. “So then you have been doing nothing? You cannot do anything yourself? The Safuma I remember was not so lazy, she was adventurous and always looking for something to do.” He nods, smiles mockingly.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:34 am
She reacted accordingly to his bouncing, mirroring his movements just a fraction too late. She couldn't guess his next move just yet, as she wasn't so far along in her hunting skills that she could estimate her 'quarry's' next move. Soon, perhaps, and she wasn't so bad at it now, she just... wasn't the best, least of all in play. When he missed and laid down, she hesitated only a matter of seconds, watching him settle down, before she set back on her paws once again. She was overlooked, certainly, but not without her own bit of blame. Most days she ended up wandering off on her own without making any real effort to play with her siblings. She was so used to them being busy, that she just assumed and went off rather than allowing herself to be let down. She preferred not to set herself up for disappointment, and go about doing things on her own instead. She practically new her homelands top to bottom, now, and frequently visited the border to observe elephant herds from a distance. As for Zeki, she'd missed him everyday. By the watering hole or not.
When he nipped her shoulder and lay his head down again, she raised a brow at his mane before leaping at him to grab his ear in her teeth. It was a gentle bite - much gentler than how gungho she had been about it when she was younger. She recognised that her teeth were getting sharper now, and to grab on with all her jawstrength could possibly draw blood. So, yes, she grabbed his ear in her teeth and wrapped a paw around his neck in a determined pin. The fact that he had already been down meant nothing to her victory! At his questions, however, she pulled back indignantly, "I didn't know where you were!" She knew he was joking, however, and calmed, "You could've come visit me too, you know." If she were bigger than him, she would sit on him!
"Dreadful, dreadful boring." She made some effort to pout at him, but Safuma was anything but a pouty little cub. When he offered to remedy the situation, her ears perked, but then he followed with more questions. Pouting once again, she wrapped her paw threateningly on around his neck, "I'm not lazy! I've been watching elephants and training to hunt and and whole bunch of stuff. Just... by myself, so it's boring." She stuck her tongue out at his mock smile, swatting at his face.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 9:39 am
Zeki could only gave a soft chuckle and a rolling purr when she touched him so playfully. Biting and tugging on his ear was found as a trademark habit of Safuma for him, be sort of liked it. Hugging around his neck made him feel so wanted and loved, friendly love really. He nudged her back whenever she let him go, it was what friends did, right? However, her pouting face just made him feel absolutely, positively horrible... whenever a female, no matter who, looked sad, depressed, upset, or anything negative, he took it personally as if he did something wrong. In most cases, it was his fault. Zeki's ears pinned back and his head lowered a little as he looked up at her with ... normally one would call them "puppy dog eyes" or the "puppy dog pout". He knew he did something wrong, hopefully this cheered her up.
"So? You could not simply wander about looking for little ol' me? I mean, we are Pride Landers, Saff, I think someone in the pride knows of Ezeoha and his... unique lifestyle," he chuckled. He did not know if Safuma, the princess of the Pride Lands and daughter of Kamilika, knew of her... if he could guess, nephew. Ezeoha was perhaps the most promiscuous and flirtatious lion within the pride and Zex, a name only a chosen few were allowed to call him, was proud to call him his uncle. He chuckled as he nipped her shoulder again, a little rougher this time. "What do you mean? I am here, aren't I? I did come to visit you, in fact, I still am!" he laughed and wrapped his paws around her into a slight hug.
"Dred-full-lee, Miss Safuma, if you said 'dreadful' boring, the words make no sense and thus only confuses your companion," he lectured mockingly. "And elephant watching is a good hobby, but it doesn't help you in the long run. After all, it is not as great when you are with someone, you know? Without somewhere there to talk with, joke with, to be with, it's a shame, perhaps..... we should go some time?" he smiled, pulling back his head to miss her swing and snapping his jaws playfully at her tongue gesture.
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Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:57 pm
Her only reaction to his obviously pleading expression - big, puppy eyes and pout - was a quick bat to the face. It was gentle, of course, but nevertheless was aimed right for the nose. Safuma was oblivious to the fact that he responded so because of her own pouting. She thought he was trying to get something out of her or something along those lines. The idea that he was doing something because of her feminimity was beyond her mental grasp. She was not aware of the fact that she was a girl and that could be used as an advantage. Certainly, her feelings for Ezekiel were evolving, but she consciously she still merely saw them as two lions - two cubs - at play. Nothing more, nothing less.
Safuma, meanwhile, most assuredly did not know about Ezeoha. She had no idea who Zeki's influence was nowadays - she only recognised that he wasn't near Pride Rock anymore. As he spoke, however, she was feeling more and more silly about not going to look for him and that was making her frustrated. "I don't know Ezeoha, and I don't know someone who does." She sat back on her haunches, not exactly angry but definitely pouty, "Yeah, you're here now, but you weren't here before! It's been a really long time, incase you didn't notice." At that she stuck her tongue out at him, to prove she wasn't pissed off entirely.
"Dreadful, dreadful, dreadful, dreadful..." Now, being corrected was something she certainly didn't take lightly. Swatting at him again, her smile was marred oddly by a glower as she peered at him, "Gets the point across." But her smile returned quickly enough and she perked at the mention of elephant watching. It was fun. She'd named an entire herd once, but she was bad at recognising them so she might've renamed the same elephant a few times. "I make up stories?" His movements made her giggles once again as she interjected, "If you're around to go, silly."
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 9:14 am
"Ezeoha's my Uncle in the Pride Lands. In ways, we are related to him as he shares Great Uncle Mufasa's blood. Surely someone, like your mother, knew of him," Zeki smiled a little before nudging her, nosing her softly, and pawing her weakly with his furthest paw. It seemed like it was just yesterday that they were always like this playfully arguing swatting at one another, mostly she swatting him, but it brought back good memories. He smiled at her, unlike he would with the females he saw now a days, it was the same charming smile he gave when he was a cub. No intent of sleeping. No intent of flirting. No, it was the one he saw as a friendly smile. "I'm sorry, Safuma, I just got carried away with my duties to my family. I promise I'll come by more often, I swear." he let out a slight purr as he head butted her lightly.
"If you keep swatting me, I might get scarred. You dun want your best friend to get hurt because of you, do you?" he questioned with a quizzical smirk. He got to his feet to prove that he was indeed bigger than her before walking away a bit so she could not swat him anymore, at least until she moved over toward him. "I never said you made up stories, did I?"
"How about this, I will establish a den between here and my Uncle's, that way I can come here as often as I like and still be able to get to Uncle's so my father doesn't think he left me alone to fend for myself," he chuckled. "It sounds like a great idea! ... but the question would be how I will get this den and where exactly it should be."
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:39 pm
Safuma was, most assuredly, being a brat, but she was lovable for it. Her brattiness did not stem from being a princess, but rather being a young one frustrated by the maturity of her cubhood friend. He'd grown up and left her very much behind, which was not taken very lightly. Of course, it wasn't as if he'd chosen to grow up without her, but that just made it all the more frustrating. What else could be done about it than swatting and arguing.
Sighing, she rolled her eyes and rephrased her previous statement, "I do not know of anyone who knows your Uncle. I don't know if Mother does, Mother and I don't get to talk very much." She glowered at him, as if she thought it was ridiculous that he needed the reminder. She did give in a little when he nosed her, facial features softening though her brow was still narrowed. At least she wasn't scowling any longer, that was a plus. His promise, however, did her in and she smiled, returning the head butt as she reiterated the promise, "You better come by more often, or I'll sick Sarafina on you." She didn't mean anything by it, but Sarafina seemed like a good enough threat to throw at anybody.
"You're all big and grown up now, I can't hurt you." She resisted the addition of a very unladylike 'duuuuhh' and instead poke him between the eyes with one paw. When he got up, she of course followed and swatted at his large paws where they were resting on the ground. At his proposition, she shook her head suddenly, as if she suddenly realised that her joke had gone too far. She looked up at him, crimson eyes solemn as she sat down, "No, I didn't mean it. You can stay with your Uncle, Zeki. Just... come back some."
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:06 pm
"We will fix that then! If you don't talk to your mother much, I might just come back at all, you hear? I rather come back to a happy Safuma than one who is upset about something within her family," he laughed and nosed her again on her head. She seemed so different than before, at least in his eyes. She wasn't as playful. She was never this moppy or snobby for that matter. She was a lot nicer, someone who wanted to play with others, that was how he met her. That was how he remembered her this past while. Zeki nosed her again.
"Come now, I made you a promise and you must know now that I never go back on my promises! Besides, if I ever did, not that it means I will, I would make up for it to the best I can to well... make you happy," he started to walk a little. "I would just about do anything. Catch meals for you for a few moons. Stay with you for a while. Even find that special someone for you too if need be... not that you have to worry about that. No one really does, that is what the heart does after all," he talked for a while before stopping, smiling back at her.
"Hey, Safuma, do you remember... the name I let you call me? You are the only one who calls me that."
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:14 pm
The little princess remained playful with those her own age and younger, but around this older Ezekiel... she wasn't quite sure how to act. He was the same, sure, but different, too. Older, maybe wiser, and he definitely looked different. He even talked about more grown up things, like finding a 'special someone' and 'building a den'. That was strange talk for the little lioness. When he nosed her, she tilted with the movement before reaching out to lay her paw against his nose. Not a bat, per say, as the paw remained there, but more of a lazy 'quit that'.
"What's Mama have to do with you coming back?" She looked at him, one brow arched quizzically before she pulled a face. "Boys are gross, Zeki. Why would I need you to find me one? I got you and that's enough."
In more ways than one, but her still cubbish nature wouldn't allow her to say such things out loud. They were secrets for her heart of hearts, not even Mzuza knew that her sister liked a boy. A boy that was never there. She looked up when she mentioned 'the name'. "Zex, yeah? I never use it, but what about it?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:56 pm
Zeki chuckled and took one of her toes into his maw, tugging on it as she does all the time with his ear. He gave a soft growl before letting the digit go, licking it as it left his maw. She was so fun sometimes that he missed being around her, he laughed and nosed her again. When she says quit it... to him, it registers as keep doing it until she gets mad.
"Well, if you and Kami aren't on talking terms, I won't come back. You have to be a good girl for Kami or else I won't come back," he did not really want to justify his demand, rather he had none. Zeki just wanted her to talk to Kami and grow a good bond with her like he did with his father.
Her words instantly received a wave of red across his face. 'I got you and that's enough.' Did she honestly say that!? No, no, no, she's just a little girl, she could not have meant it as he would have taken it. He was her friend! Yes, that's right... her friend. He smiled and nosed her again, licking her softly.
"I am glad you remembered... only you can call me that, no one else."
[end]
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