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 Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:25 pm
[ EDIT: Sorry about that. D: I was working on my Mteo post and put it in here as well as in the proper thread. *will just cancel this post and start the RP officially in her next post* ;;;; ]
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:28 pm
A yowl and a brief scuffle in the dirt, and it was over. Another small, flickering and weak life had been extinguished, and another, slightly larger but still weak life was extended, given another day to continue its pointless existance.
Such was the train of thought in the head of a young blue lion as he sat licking his paws clean of what little blood had made it onto them, his face only spoted in a few places by that same blood. What was the point of it all, really? A question he often asked himself, and he had yet to come up with an anwer to it. Despite that, his life seemed to stubbornly refuse to leave him, clinging to this mortal shell as though a stickerburr to fur. There had been many times in his short life when the he had been down and out... lowered till he held on with nothing but tips of his claws to this world. And still, he had not fallen over that edge into oblivion, even when he had wished for it with everything in him.
Savoring the tiny meal of a feild mouse he had managed to catch, Ryuuko waxed philosophic in the silence inside his own head, pondering the big questions of life and death. But what did even that really matter? Did knowing the why of things fill your belly, ease your thirts, block the burning sun and soaking rain? No. And still, the questions came, and he found himself obliged to pay them a bit of attention before they would go away.
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:35 pm
A slightly nicer train of thoughts was going through Chambua's head as the lion crested the hill. Though he was no longer in the prime of his life, the lion knew he still had quite a bit of time left to continue his adventures. Life's road was still long; long enough (he hoped) that he would eventually find all of the Great Wonders of the World. He had left when he was but an adolescent to seek this out, and so far he had only managed to locate two. He was working on his third riddle as he walked, brown mane practically covering his eyes to allow him to think without distractions. This riddle was a real stumper, and he had been struggling with it for several months now. Perhaps he should take a break and meet up with another traveler. Travelers always had interesting opinions, something he could use to help him with the riddle.
Chambua lifted his head to shake his mane from his eyes, and in doing so caught sight of Ryuuko. The lion's ears perked instantly, excited that he had found someone to talk to so soon. This was excellent! Surely this lone young male was a traveler like himself. After all, what male lived by himself? Chambua would have gone with hermit if the male was older, however this one looked just about the same age that he had been when he started out on his journey. With a gentle smile on his face, the large lion made his way towards Ryuuko, hoping he wouldn't startle the youth. Perhaps he should call out first. "Greetings over there! May I join you?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 7:29 am
The sound of another voice was startlement enough for the young lion and he jumped to his paws, whirling to contront the stranger that had stumbled upon him. Rounded ears pressed to his head as solemn yellow eyes regarded the newcommer with something between fear and longing. It had been... longer than he cared to remember since he'd heard a voice that was friendly.
"Um... Greetings, Stranger. Are you... a friend?" He called back, trying to keep the quaver from his young voice. It had started changing on him, a constant source of embarassment as he hovered between youth and adult. "I havn't had many visitors, so you'll have to excuse my nervousness." He said as he straightened himself up, hoping he didn't look too much like some vagabond. He tried to keep himself in working order, but he would be the first to admit that somedays it just didn't stick.
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:09 am
Oh, had he startled the youth? Chambua really hadn't meant to do such a thing. That was the purpose of calling out. It seemed, however, that he had done it anyways, and the lion did his best to look apologetic as he approached. Being startled from your riddle solving was always an unpleasant thing. Mind you, he didn't know that this young male was solving riddles or thinking through great philosophical things, but he tended to assume that many lions thought the way he did. Especially when they were sitting by themselves.
Chambua slowed his gait when he approached Ryuuko, eventually slowing down enough to sit a comfortable distance away from the young male. "A friend? Does the sun rise every morning?" The lion smiled gently at his new companion, hoping that he was not making the youth more nervous than he already seemed to be. "Not many visitors? Well, such is the life of a wanderer. But I stranger I shall be to you no more. My mother called me Chambua. What may I call you?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:09 pm
Ryuuko smiled, though his expression was a tad confused. Did the sun rise in the morning? What kind of question was that?
"I take it then, you don't mean me any harm. I have to be careful... as you can see, I'm not very big or very strong." He said softly, appreciating that the other's voice was gentle, and that he stopped at a respectful distance. Wanting to show a little of his own good faith (and really because he just wanted to be closer) the young lion closed a bit of the gap between them, settling to sit back on his haunches as well.
"Its nice to meet you Chambua. My... my mother called me Ryuuko." It had been a long time since he'd shared his name with someone, and it felt particularly nice to do it now. There was even a little smile on his face, and his tail tip twitched with the rising tide of good-feeling.
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:46 pm
Chambua gave a small chuckle. "Of course I mean you no harm, though I do applaud you for your wariness. As you get older, that will start to wear off. You are wise, however, to be careful around those who could do you harm. But rest assured, no harm shall come from this one." He dipped his head, smiling when the younger lion took a step closer. Aah, now that was better. Trust was the first step in getting to know someone.
"Ryuuko. A very nice name. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ryuuko." A nice name, with good flow. Though Chambua had a very good memory for riddles and puzzles, he often had time remembering the long, intricate names of some of the savannah creatures. He did his best to try and understand their culture and heritage, however long names just never stayed very long in the lion's head. He had many other things to worry about. "So tell me, Ryuuko, what brings you out here on this fine day?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:07 pm
"I was just catching something to eat." Ryuuko said softly as he smiled his gentle smile. It was a sweet and naive expression, and something he might grow out of with time. "I don't make catches very often, I'm afraid, but I managed to get a nest of mice this time and got a bit fuller stomach."
He chuckled softly as he sat down near the older male, looking up at him with his guiless yellow eyes. With so little contact with others, lying was foreign to him, as was hiding his emotions and insecurities. And he was so starved for attention that he didn't even think to question the male or his intentions. Lucky for him that the one to stumble upon him was kind.
"What brings you out here, Chambua? I don't see many lions, or really any other creatures." He laughed softly, his tail flicking.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:50 pm
"Aaah, food is important to keep the mind sharp," Chambua said with a small, approving nod. He couldn’t imagine that a nest of mice was the tastiest of prey, but it would hold over a young lion like Ryuuko. The lion tilted his head when Ryuuko said he didn't make catches often, tutting softly. "Perhaps you should ask a lioness for lessons? Now, I have not met many lionesses in this area, but I would guess that there must be someone out there who would be willing to teach you some of the finer points of hunting. Of course, hunting without a group is always more challenging, but I believe you can manage it." He gave Ryuuko an encouraging smile.
Indeed it was lucky that the one to stumble upon Ryuuko was Chambua. The gentle giant harbored no ill intent towards anyone, especially not a polite young male. He was also very direct with his speech, above telling lies or hiding his feelings. Chambua believes very strongly in correctness and truthfulness, which was what helped fuel his passion for riddles. He always wanted to know the true answer, or at least the most correct one. Thus, he needed to make sure all of his thoughts were the most correct, so as to help him with his puzzles.
"Really? I am simply out here on a little stroll. I like to walk when I think about my riddles. It helps keep the blood flowing."
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:37 pm
The young male smiled, till Chambua mentioned a lioness. His ears fell back as his eyes widened, taking on a tearful sort of look.
"There is never... anyone here." He said softly, looking down. "I've never had anyone to teach me, I just had to learn it on my own. I've done my best, you know?" He smiled ruefully as he glanced up, then at the grass again, his tail sweeping to curl around him.
Strolling... just, walking somewhere, for no real reason? The concept was foreign. Walking took energy, and when you only had enough energy to maybe catch your next meal, you had to save as much of it as you could. Moving around wasted the precious little you got from the meager food you caught... or so it was for Ryuuko. As it had always been.
"Do you meet... a lot of other lions in your walking?" He said softly. "Where are they?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 10:10 am
Chambua blinked at the look that came of Ryuuko's face, thoroughly surprised. What had he said that made the youth look so dejected? Was it about the hunting thing? Or maybe about the strolling? The lion honestly didn't have a clue where he had gone wrong, and so anxiously waited for Ryuuko to start talking. He wanted to know what was wrong so he didn't repeat the mistake. Chambua thoroughly disliked making people upset or sad. It was even worse than making them angry.
"No one here? You have never met anyone on your travels?" The moment Ryuuko said that he had to learn how to hunt by himself, Chambua began to suspect that he was left alone as a cub. His mother had either left him or probably died, and so the poor boy hadn't had a chance to learn how to hunt from his mother. "I think you're doing very well for someone who's learned to hunt all on their own. And other lions?" He paused to think for a moment. "I've run into several wandering lions and lionesses, but I have yet to run into a pride. I have heard rumors of a very large pride, apparently sporting hundreds of lions, though I have never been there myself. Have you heard of this place?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:14 am
The youngster shook his head in reply. "No, I've never met another lion here. I don't travel... I've always been here, its where I was born, I think. I've maybe seen a lion or two, way off in the distance, but I've never approached them, or been approached. I was afraid... I'm small and they're big." He would have blushed if he could have, watching Chambua with big eyes to see if the male would laugh at him for that.
He listened with obvious surprise and a heavy dose of disbelief as he spoke of a pride of... hundreds of lions? That was just silly... he couldn't imagine a group of more than maybe ten lions. How did they all keep from getting lost from one another? "I've never heard of any place like that... how can there be so many in one pride? I mean... how can you know that many lions at once? Or how can you not know members of your own pride? That's just... I don't know..." His words stumbled to a halt as his ears fell back, gently biting his tongue in thought. "That sounds like a leopard story to me." Leopards were about as mythical to him as a pride that big. He'd never seen either of them.
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:34 pm
Chambua let the young lion tell his story, feeling quite sorry for him. "Well, I'm sure you were quite small as a cub but now you're much bigger! And I hardly doubt a lioness would turn you down, though another large male I cannot say. I have met some hostile males in the past, but there are always some like myself who would rather converse than attack." He smiled gently. "But perhaps now that you are bigger it is time to leave this place? Exploration never hurt anyone."
The lion gave a soft chuckle at the expression on Ryuuko's face, listening to his questions. "Aaah, I have never been to such a place, and truthfully I do not know how you would know one hundred lions. They must all live in a very large place where they do not all know each other. I cannot imagine a pride where you didn't know everyone, but such occurrences could be common place." Chambua tilted his head at Ryuuko's final comment, an interested look on his face. "A leopard story?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:35 am
Ryuu nodded as he listened, whole-heartedly agreeing with Chambua about a pride that large. How odd it must be!
His soft ears perked up though when he told him he was bigger, a flush of pleasure making him smile. It was his finest wish to grow up big and strong... "What? .... Leave?" That thought pulled him up short and he stopped to think, really letting it sink in. He could leave? It had never occured to him that he could... leave this place. He could go anywhere he wanted... there was nothing stopping him.
Well... there was one thing. His eyes looked inward as he thought about his mother, silent and solemn. She'd disappeared so long ago... just gone out and never came back. He thought about her all the time, missed her terribly... But what if she did come back? Maybe something was keeping her, and she'd come back! And if she did, wouldn't she look for him here, where she had left him?
The young lion looked up at the other with wide yellow eyes, his expression rather forlorn. "I don't know, Chambua... I've... I've never left this place, ever... I don't know anything about the world out there, or the creatures in it."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:16 pm
The lion nodded when Ryuuko repeated his question, head tilted just so as he let the younger male think over the idea. Truthfully, Chambua had grown up knowing that one day he would leave his family. Still, it had been quite hard to actually do it, as the male loved his mother very much. The idea was cushioned somewhat by the fact that he knew he could always return to his little traveling band if he decided that life out in the big world was not right for him. Ryuuko did not have such a luxury.
He listened attentively when Ryuuko spoke again, noting his forlorn expression and trying to keep his own gentle. Poor male, abandoned by his mother and now he couldn't even leave the place she had left him. Did he worry she would show up one day to find him gone? Perhaps he was just worried about what would lie ahead of him if he left this spot. "You are young still, Ryuuko, and now is the time to explore the lands. Of course, you may run into creatures who mean you harm, but there are still those who would enjoy your insightful company. Think of leaving this place as an adventure, and if life out there does not suit you, you can always return. No one will stop you."
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