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 Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 1:01 pm
 
Slipping away from the den in which Senatla, Ten and the cubs slept in, the lioness crept out towards the beach. Her paws sunk into the soft sand and while the sky was cool, the small rocks beneath her feet still held warmth from the morning sun. The lioness smiled absently, slowly extending her claws and pulling them back in, as though kneading the earth beneath her.
Shutting her eyes to enjoy the ocean breeze, the lioness was entirely unprepared in the chance that someone was to stumble across her.
Perhaps it wasnt wise to wander into as far as his roamings went- uncharted territory, but the large gray male found he just couldnt help himself. Jethro had grown bored with sticking to familiar lands and wanted to see what else the place had to offer. Yes, it meant heading into areas that might not be very welcoming to outsiders, but it also meant a decent adventure.
To him, the pros out-weighed the cons.
That was what brought him to the beach that night- the unwavering need to see as much of the world as he possibly could. Smiling faintly, he let his pale purple eyes glide over the horizon, the soft churning of the ocean waves creating a welcoming hum to his ears. Never had seen such a vast amount of water before. How sheltered could he have been to have failed to ever see something so magnificent? And he called himself an adventurer.
Somewhat ashamed of himself, the lion progressed over the land slowly, looking around to make sure no guards were looking around ready to fend off any invaders. He didnt find any attackers. He did, however, spot the frame of another lion not too far from him. A female, as he could plainly see from her lack of facial fuzz. Deciding not to think of her as a threat, he moved over to her, keeping his pace slow just in case.
Hello there, he greeted in a somewhat hushed voice. The darkness of the world promoted a sense that he needed to keep his voice down. Silly, maybe, but true nonetheless, its a lovely night, isnt it?
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 1:07 pm
Like the male approaching, Kamaria also considered herself an adventurer, though her introduction to the Bahari'mtoto was not due to her lust of wandering. In fact, the lioness had been wounded and alone and the cool ocean's breeze was enough to inspire a short rest. As she healed, her rest became longer and she grew to fall for the beautiful landscape before her. When her companions wished to find permanent shelter, she was quick to suggest the pride.
Now that she had made it her home, she felt as though something was taken from it. These were the same scenes she witnessed day after day and quickly she longed to explore and get away. The water would forever be her haven, but she needed more.
Still kneading at the sand, Kamaria had become in a sort of deep thinking trance. The paw steps approaching were entirely inaudible over the crashing waves and only when the stranger spoke did the small lioness turn and halt her actions. "Oh?" She almost gasped. By her reaction, it was clear that she was surprised, but not a threat in the least. She did not bare her fangs or have her fur stand on end. In fact, her expression might have come off rather cublike.
Embarassed, the lioness felt her cheeks turn a light pink and her lavander eyes looked over the stranger shyly. He was not a member of the pride, or if he was, Kamaria had never met him. Before answering the male's question, the bold female quickly asked, "Are you from around here?"
Jethro reacted to her surprise with surprise of his own, claws sinking into the ground to hold him in place. The last thing he wanted her to see was him jumping up in shock when he had been the one to address her in the first place. He just hadnt expected her to be so deep in thought that she hadnt seen, or at least heard him coming. Luckily, he managed to hold himself to the ground, his body tensing for just a moment before he forced himself into a collected calm again.
Sheepishly, he offered a slight smile, half in apology and half in embarrassment.
Noting the decided dodge of his question, the male decided it best not to cause trouble by making a fuss over it. Wasnt like he had asked something particularly life-altering and was in dire need of a prompt response. No, he said lightly, modest smile spreading into something more friendly and less shame-ridden, Im actually just passing through. I hope thats not too much of a problem. If it is
well
. We can just pretend I was never here, right?
After a short pause, he proved how calm he really was in meeting her by planting his butt in the sand. If she attacked him, maybe then he would be on edge. Until that happened, however, he was happy to try and make a new friend.
Im sorry, by the way, he added after a thoughtful moment of just looking at her through the darkness, for startling you. Did I wake you up? Or, distract you from something? He didnt introduce himself just yet, figuring he should find out if he was welcomed first.
No point in giving his name to someone who would sooner see him dead than on her land, yes?
Having witnessed the male's body tense before her, Kamaria couldn't help but release a light giggle, causing her cheeks to brighten once again. It was not often that she showed off such a feminine side of herself, but it was amusing to see how much she had caused the male to react.
When he mentioned leaving, the lioness shook her head lightly. It was strange to have the tables turned for a change. She remembered when she was the lioness wandering into the foreign land and being greeted by protective guards. She hoped that she could leave a positive impression on this male, as well as a memory that would be difficult to forget. "No, no, I was simply curious," she remarked with a smile, still looking over the male as though to record him within her mind, "You are as welcome here as anyone else if you ask me. This land is too beautiful to simply pass over."
Kamaria's eyes met the ocean once again and her smile grew. "I remember when I first stumbled across this place. Probably in a similar situation as I imagine you are," Kamaria did not mean to sound as though she was making assumptions, but simply connected with others. Returning her soft gaze to him, she shook her head, "No. I'm afraid I was unable to sleep and distractions are welcome. It is pleasant to see someone new." While Kamaria could not simply leave her friends behind, the male was entirely what she needed to have some sort of mock "get away" with someone new.
And then, as though she realised she hadn't properly introduced herself, the lioness faced the male and lowered her head respectfully. "How rude of me. I am Kamaria. I am a--" And she hesitated for a moment, unsured to not introducing herself as the traveler she was by heart, "--A member of this pride and would be happy to assist you with anything if you had any questions."
Jethro nodded his head, bowing it somewhat low to give her a proper greeting. He felt everyone deserved some respect, regardless of what their position in a pack was. And, considering he had no idea what her position in her pride happened to be, it was much safer to just be polite. Thank you, he said, his tail swirling around his legs and hooking about his front paws peacefully, and youre right: this place is certainly beautiful. I dont remember ever seeing a place like this before. So much water!
Which, really, sucked for him because he was horribly afraid of water and couldnt swim to save his life. But at a distance it wasnt so bad.
Pretty, even.
Really? Jethro asked, I really dont have much of a situation. Ive been an adventurer all my life, but mostly I liked to stick to the areas I knew I was welcome in. Now that Im older I find it more important to get out there and see everything I possibly can, you know? I just love to explore. He looked at her, smiling.
Well now I feel silly giving you my name, Jethro replied with a chuckle, yours is so much nicer mine seems inadequate. Nonetheless, they call me Jethro. Its really a pleasure to meet you. I hadnt expected someone to be so nice to me, especially since Im a foreigner on your land and gave you a bit of a fright just now. He smiled, long fangs perturbing in a toothy grin. Now that he could see she wasnt upset with him being there, he was much more relaxed.
Even if he had been fairly relaxed from the start.
So do you like being here? He asked after a moment, Im not sure if I ever want to settle in one place, so Im kind of asking around to see what lands I like. Actually, thats not true. Youre the first person Ive asked about a territory. Still, I think it might be a continued act if I decide to roam on. Alright, he was rambling. Maybe he was still a little- nervous. But not because he was worried about her attacking him.
He had never spoken to a female lion before.
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 1:12 pm
This male knew exactly what Kamaria wanted to hear. He was an explorer, visiting far away lands simply for the sake of seeing something new. He was not a ravenous rogue, but a gentle soul with simple plans for his future. Kamaria's tail swayed about behind her as she fought the impulse to ask the male to take her away with him. It was ironic how Kamaria had struggled her entire life to find a place to belong and now that she had found a home, she longed for the life she once had. Kamaria certainly had not found all she wanted in life.
"Nonesense!" Kamaria exclaimed with a growing smile. "Jethro is a handsome name." She had woken up quite a bit since the male first arrived, excited at the prospect of hearing some of his stories of his adventures. When she heard of how he was surprised at her kindness, she felt a strong familiarity. When they first spoke with the heir of the pride, both Ten and she were very nervous at first. What can you expect when you are so new and unfamiliar with a pride?
And when Kamaria expected questions about the water and what the pride had to offer, Jethro simply asked her opinion of it. The lioness thought for a moment before giving her response. She felt as though she was two personalities trapped in a single body. One part of her wanted to continue looking for what might fill the hole inside of her and the other part was determined that this was just it.
Finally ready to give her response, she answered, in a surprisingly honest way. It was refreshing with how open she was being, "To be honest. I am torn. I am not an old lioness, but I am in also no longer a cub. I have lived my life wandering, searching for something to complete me and now that I believe I have found it, I cannot change myself to fit."
Kamaria looked away, feeling guilty for not explaining all the wonderful things of the land. "This land is beautiful and has provided a great deal of comfort to me. I do not regret making this my home." She added quietly.
Laughing, Jethro shook his head, letting his mane dance. Well thank you! It doesnt lend itself to many nicknames, though. I guess you could call me Ro if you wanted to. He listened as she settled into more serious talk, arching the likeness of an eyebrow. Maybe he had inadvertently stumbled on what had been on her mind prior to his frightening her.
No, youre not an old lioness, Jethro agreed, I picked up on that myself. He smiled at her, not wanting his simple question to put her into some kind of depression. It seemed he had asked the wrong thing, as she was suddenly more serious than he was comfortable with. Try as he might, Jethro wasnt great at comforting people. He had his moment, but on the whole he was a rather awkward animal.
All part of his charm.
Im sorry to hear that, he said after a moment, it sucks when you feel you have to fill a part of yourself because you dont think youre complete. There have been times when Ive thought that too. Because, well, Im not getting any younger either, and I know I probably shouldnt spend my whole life just looking at things. I should become a part of something too. But
I dont know. I might not be ready yet. I have too much fun exploring, and theres still so much more for me to see out there! But just because youre part of a pride doesnt mean you cant go exploring from time to time, right? I dont think you should have to change yourself to fit somewhere. It you were really meant to be here, well, maybe you would have fit in right away, you know? Not that I want to make you more confused! I mean
I have no idea what it means to become a part of something, since, you know, I havent yet. Im just saying. I think that
when you do find that place to settle in
youll know its the place for you right away. But maybe Im just a dreamer. You know what they say: the grass is always greener on the other side. Maybe its impossible to find something without missing what youre leaving behind just a little. Sacrifice it a part of life too. Gotta weigh cost and benefit.
His smile lessened, guilt riding in. There was no way he was helping her. Clearly she had a lot on her mind and he probably wasnt helping. Strangers didnt need to be offering their two-cents to people struggling to figure things out. He didnt even know her full story.
Im sorry. I didnt mean to upset you, he said quickly, we can talk about something else. You have lovely spots! A desperate attempt at a subject attempt, but one he felt needed.
When Jethro commented on the lioness calling him Ro for short, she mentally shook her head. It reminded her too much of Roho, an old friend that disappeared during their travels. "Jeth would work as well," She said quietly, not feeling it was really her place to give the stranger a nickname. And though she likely wouldn't use it, she did feel the name was fun to say - at least to herself.
Kamaria watched the ocean waves as Jethro continues to speak. The lioness felt suddenly aware at how much of herself she gave away to this new lion. Perhaps it was the fact that he was a wanderer and she felt that it would be safe to reveal her secrets to him? What were the chances of the two lions ever running into one another again? As Jethro continued to speak, Kamaria nodded and smiled warmly. He was very insightful and what he said hit very close to home. Turning her head slowly to watch him as he spoke, the lioness smiled more, "I am sorry. I do not mean to come across so.. lost."
By the manner in which Jethro spoke, the lioness could tell that she was making him uncomfortable and that he felt guilty. "You haven't upset me," She spoke gently, "My mind is simply busy with thought." Kam's weak demeanor and melancholy conversation was enough to turn anyone away. The lioness looked away quickly and then forced a smile.
Jethro's complement had Kamaria blushing quite noticebly. "Thank you. I like your spirals", Kam teased, adding a flirty smile to her maw. Getting to her feet and nudging forward with her muzzle, the lioness looked back towards the male, "Surely you came to witness all the wonders of this pride and not to become worried about a lioness like myself. Let me repay your kindness with a tour?"
True, Jethro replied whimsically, Jeth would work. I guess that would be just as good as anything else! He smiled, not really caring much about what name she called him. If she decided to go with his full name it would be just fine, considering it wasnt exactly the hardest name in the world to pronounce. Sometimes he wondered about nicknames. Normally the only real reason to give someone one was because their real name was difficult to pronounce. Still, he liked them. Alongside making a tough name easy, they showed a relaxation when talking to someone. If you gave someone a nickname and used it, then you werent completely indifferent to that person, right?
He figured so.
Jethro laughed when she apologized, shaking his head quickly to assure her there was no need. You never have to apologize for being a little lost, in any regard. After all, Ive spent half my life being lost in one way or another. Most of the time literally, but not always.
He sighed, glad to hear that he hadnt mistakenly made things worse for her with his babbling. His tail flicked idly against the sand, his eyes observing her frame. Well, I wish I could help. You still look upset, even if it wasnt because of me. I guess I found you during a tough time, eh? There was no need for her to reply, really. It was plain to see that she was indeed thinking about vastly complicated things probably light years out of his spectrum of comprehension.
Jethro wasnt the brightest crayon in the box at times.
Didnt deter him, though. When meeting someone who was a little gloomy, Jethro did his best to stick around and offer comfort. Or at least a bit of conversation to distract said someone from their issues for a while. Since it didnt seem like he would be able to give much comfort to the stranger, the latter would have to work.
Grinning at her offer, the young male sprang to his feet. By all means! he replied, lead the way. Id love to see the layout of this beautiful pride.
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 2:06 pm
Kamaria would not ignore the male's questions, but thought it would be best to continue their conversation while traveling. This was the beginning of Jethro's tour of the Bahari'mtoto...
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