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 Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:52 am
Memetuka was no longer in such a good mood, after spending so much time with her family and cheering up.. he had to come along and ruin it for her. She's gotten Angavu to agree not to tell her mother for now, and Meme assumed she only didn't say anything because she liked having a secret with her. That, at least, made the lioness smile. Now that she knew Abedari was near the Pridelands, she hoped he wouldn't come too far in and had decided she wanted to stay around Pride Rock for a little bit. Perhaps if she was lucky, she'd get to see her niece or maybe that poor boy who'd been left behind by someone he loved. But it was always a busy place, anything to keep her distracted would be most welcome!
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:35 am
 He was cheerier than he had been, that was for sure. Things had been awful recently for Chunuka. He had thought his mother dead, his father had left the pride from the grief but then, out of the blue, his mother had returned. He had been overwhelmed, shocked, almost thought he was seeing a ghost. Then she told him her story, of leaving to find her son, and he had come to understood.
And now he grieved the loss of his father and everyday he thought of Amari, wandering the roguelands alone, thinking Maawio was dead.
Chunuka had half a mind to set out after him, if he wasn't so afraid of the outside world that is.
Feeling a complete and utterly useless lion he had tried his best to learn to hunt for his mother and sister - who now had a litter of cubs. When he wasn't guarding his family he was trying to provide for them. However, his good deeds had been wearing him thin and now he was pacing the hunting lands, looking out at the herds with hungry eyes. He had always been a slim lion, but now he was slimmer still and it was clear the stress of recent events was taking its toll.
He paused in his pacing, turned and that was when he spotted the other golden lioness.
Gold. Gold was his favourite colour in the whole world. It meant home. It meant friend. It meant family. Gold was in everything that he held dear.
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:08 am
Memetuka was not a large lioness, and since rejoining the pridelands once more she was not nearly so thin as she had been when she was hiding away as a rogue. Looking for a distraction, she did quickly spot the bright gold lion out in the grass- and were he not so far in the lands she might have mistaken him for a rogue for the simple fact he seemed much too thin to be pride lion. She noticed him just as she herself was spotted by him, and she smiled a little bit though she wasn't sure it could be seen from the distance. Like Chunuka, she associated gold with family- and the Pridelands in general. She still had not quite learned about all the cubs her sister had had and then the cubs they had, and so on.
Taking a deep breath and deciding to try to forget about Abedari and go back to attempting to be social, she walked towards him- though not without some obvious hesitance. At least she was trying!
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:15 am
Chunuka tilted his head. She was hesitant? He lowered his head, let his tail droop until it rested against the ground. He had no idea that his skinny appearance might give others the impression he was a rogue. In truth, he'd probably be quite upset at the notion.
He prided himself in the fact that his mother was one of the last 'purebloods' alive in the lands and that he had inherited half of her pridelander genes. To him, even his father was a Pridelander. He had the build, the rusty natural colourings and the personality. All he lacked were the genes.
"Hello."
Chunuka was like his mother in every way. Elegantly built, golden with blue eyes, and remarkably shy and placid. He was a gentleman in every fashion, kindly and sweet. He'd put the world before he himself if given the chance.
"Are you okay?" He blinked.
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:26 am
"Hello," Meme greeted him politely, noticing how he suddenly seemed that much droopier since she decided to come over and chat with him. She wouldn't be surprised to find out that she was to blame for it, and in hopes of easing the tension (and his apparent worry) a bit, she smiled again and stood a bit taller.
"I'm fine," she answered carefully, looking at him and wondering the same thing of him, "I'm Memetuka, I don't think I've seen you around before." Then a thought hit her, he did look awfully familiar. Pridelander gold, maybe that's all it was. Maybe.
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:32 am
He smiled. "I don't meet many lions." It was odd. He was friendly enough, quite willing to make friends and help out, but somehow he was alone. His brothers and sisters had all found friends and mates. Some even had cubs! And here he was, blundering through life without a single friend to call his own.
Uness his sister counted. Kiasi was the only one who spent the time to talk with him and now she was preoccupied with little ones!
"But I've lived here my whole life. My mother lived here before I was born and her mother before her, so my family has been in the Pridelands...forever." He beamed, proudly. "And I've never left the lands, never intend to either." He had never been adventurous or curious. Never been one for excitement. He wanted simplicity.
"I'm Chunuka." He replied.
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:54 am
"Nor do I," Meme agreed with Chunuka on not meeting many lions. It was something she wanted to work on, and she was improving quite a bit, the only problem was she kept finding excuses to be less than outgoing. The most recent one was the desire not to be found again by her former mate, and the refreshed guilt that had come with that meeting.
"Really?" she asked, suddenly quite distracted at the mention of his family being old Pridelanders. It supported the idea that his pridelander gold was what made him so familiar, "My family as well, and I don't imagine that'll change." The lioness did not want to outright admit relation to the royal family, but it was true- with her sister joining into the royal line, she'd probably always have family here, no matter how distant.
"It's nice to meet you, Chunuka."
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:05 am
"It's nice to meet you too." Chunuka nodded, understanding. Some might not have thought it, but sometimes, living in an overpopulated pride could be lonely. Sometimes it could be lonelier than living alone in the roguelands. Lions here tended to stay in groups, not extending their friendships much. He felt a stranger to those who he shouldn't feel strangers too. Not only that but, the amount of rogues joining had increased and Chunuka was wary of them, even if the queen had allowed them to join.
"Really?" Then they had something in common. He sat, feeling somewhat more at ease now.
"My family has always been strong. It's the only thing I've ever had really...until recently." He shook his head. "Its scary how one day everything is fine and the next you open your eyes and everything you took for granted has fallen apart..." He watched his tail flicking idly.
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:15 am
Meme took full blame for her own loneliness, though it was much helped by the fact that her daughter had forgiven her and her grandcubs came to see her so often. She followed Chunuka's example and took a seat as well, curling her tail around her toes. She listened to him describe his family, his situation, she felt felt he was very lucky to have them- until it seemed to turn around like he no longer had them. This, sadly, was something Memetuka could easily relate to. It was starting to surprise her, how many others she found in such situations. It was nothing she'd wish upon anyone, but it almost made her feel less alone, less isolated.
"I know what you mean," she commented quietly, "But I know for a fact that sometimes what you lose can be recovered, I- I didn't always have my family, I don't deserve them and yet.. they still accept me." Chunuka did not seem to mind sharing, so she did not mind admitting those vague details.
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:36 am
Chunuka looked at her with his eyes, as blue as a summer sky. His eyes were calm, solemn and understanding. He felt a connection with this lioness and all he knew was her name. She seemed to know what he was going through, know the pain that was ripping him in half.
He felt tears burn in his eyes, turned his head away, ashamed.
"I could recover it if I was strong enough." He whispered. "But I'm afraid." He thought of his father out there in the roguelands, wandering like a creature who had half-died. He thought Maawio was dead...
Chunuka knew otherwise. He could go after Amari. Find him. Bring joy back to his father's life. But he was afraid and he despised himself for it. "I don't deserve to have a family when I can't do all I can to help them."
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:43 am
It seemed to her as Chunuka suddenly became teary and looked away that he'd needed someone to talk to, lamenting alone was not always a problem but it was certainly more of a comfort to have someone around. She felt sorry for him, wishing she could someone how help him.
"You sound very dedicated, you obviously care very much," she pointed out awkwardly, trying to find a way to make him feel a little better, "I abandoned my family, my mate and my daughter.. yet she forgave me, almost demanded I be a part of the lives of her cubs. If there's some reason I deserve such forgiveness, certainly there is something for you. Is there anything I can do to help?" She was almost teary herself now, there were very few days she did not feel grateful Shiri was as wonderful as she was. However her confidence still said she was much less deserving of such happiness than most, especially when faced with someone like Chunuka.
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:55 am
He sniffed, turned his head to face her partially. Her voice was soothing, comforting and warm. It helped ease his sorrow very slightly. "I'm sorry." He mumbled quietly. "I have no right to put my burdens onto you. I barely even know you and...well...you have things you need to deal with too."
He stood, made as if to go. But his paws wouldn't move.
Then, suddenly, he turned to face her. His eyes were glossy but the tears had not yet fallen. "But you understand, don't you?" He whispered. "No one else understands. Mother is sad, yes, but she doesn't understand what I feel. Kas...Kas has her cubs and Inari...he has his family. My other siblings..well who knows. They probably don't even care." His voice broke.
He came back to his sense, smiled softly.
"She forgave you because she loved you." He dipped his ears. "Because when the world throws you into turmoil, family is the one thing you can trust. Even a broken family..."
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:07 am
"Sometimes all you need is a distraction," she pointed out, meaning mostly herself, but then added with a slight smile, "Or someone to talk to." Meme watched him get up, hoping he didn't feel like he had to go simply because she wished to help. There was something about sharing your own situation that made it seem less like you were just making it up as you went along. Her ears turned forward when he spoke again in a low voice.
It sounded almost like his family was growing and moving on through whatever was holding him back, and he was leaving himself behind, worrying about everything for them.
"I never stopped caring, when I left; you might not know for sure, but you're right," she agreed in a similar quiet voice, "Family is one thing you can count on, I'm sure they care- surely they must see how much you care and how much you want to help."
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:15 am
Chunuka looked at her. "A distraction?" He'd never had anyone to give him a distraction before. He'd been too busy helping his mother and sister, using the hunting to distract him, though it had tired him. Now the sorrow was festering and he was quite sure that it'd never go away.
"I love my mother dearly but...every time I look at her I feel guilty. She's sad and...I'm too afraid to fetch the one thing she needs to make her happy."
"How about, if I distract you, you can distract me? Seems we both need a bit of cheering up." He sat again, curled his tail around his paws. "Though, it seems as if your family is all doing okay. Your daughter has forgiven you, you're with a complete family. Why are you sad?" He added hastily. "If my question is rude, please tell me and I'll keep my nose out of it." He was afraid of hurting her feelings when she seemed she could be a possible friend.
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:30 am
"What's the one thing she needs?" Meme asked curiously, realizing how nosy her question was but she wondered what it could be that he was too afraid to get. Fear was natural, it had kept Meme herself away from her home for so long.. it could be overcome, but when it couldn't there was no one like a mother to understand. Chunuka seemed far too sweet and spoke too highly of his mother for Meme to even consider she wouldn't be friendly, wouldn't be understanding.
"Deal," she agreed to his offer to help distract her if she would help him. It was a fair trade off, and it would do just the opposite of harm for them to have a friend, it seemed. She couldn't help but smile sadly at the compliments about her family and the questions about why she was so sad.
"Shiri may have forgiven me, but I cannot forgive myself," she answered truthfully, "Things just seem to keep getting complicated when I start feeling I've sorted things out once and for all." Meme was still reluctant to outwardly mention the meeting with Abedari, she wouldn't even be sure how to fully explain that- she was hardly sure she understood everything she felt about that.
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