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 Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:14 pm
It just wasn't fair... he was a good guy, usually pleasant to be around and highly thought of by the bevy of females he'd had the pleasure to be with. He was always good company, so why did he find himself all alone today of all days?
A grumble rolled from Zeus's throat as he hunkered down in the meger shelter of the tree, barely more than a very large bush, and waited for the rain to come. He'd survive it, like he had a hundred times before... but that didn't mean he'd like it any.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:46 pm
Njalo padded through the savannah. He search thus far had gone fruitlessly, and he wondered if he would ever meet any Gods at all. He had given up everything he had for this journey--his family, friends, and home--and for what? A lonely walk under a bleak sky? His mood blackened with the sky, which he took no notice of. He had been so young when he left; he had never even had the opportunity to go through that awkward phase between being a child and an adolescent. Instead, he had skipped it completely, and had skipped the stage when one learns to charm and flirt successfully. Even if he gave up now, there would be nothing for him, and he could not rely on any charm in order gain a night with another body's warmth to keep him comfortable.
And he had been so caught up with his quest that he had merely shoved aside any females he had met along the may. Oh how he bitterly regretted doing that now. He'd probably never see any of them again, and some had seemed nice enough...
But there's no time to romance when one is on an epic journey! thought Njalo, and yet such an odyssey should have shown some results by now. Does questing mean I have to be a lonely fool for my entire life?
Heavy drops splashed onto Njalo's muzzle; rain, he observed dismally. By the looks of the sky, he should have expected it, but his thoughts had been to distracting--and now he was in the middle of an exposed savannah.
He spotted a single, stout bush-like tree and scurried over to take cover from the barrage of drops now pelting down. It was only once he was under the miniature tree that Njalo realized he had another lion as company. The space was rather tight, but there was just enough room for the tree to keep both lions dry.
"Er, hello," said Njalo, "Did the rain take you by surprise, too?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:22 pm
Zeus frowned as darkly as the rain clouds as water began to fall, pattering into the dirt. Some of the drops had the audacity to make their way through the tangle of branches to land in his mane and on his shoulders, his ears pressing themselves in the white-speckled hair to keep them dry.
"If I were running the show, this would never happen to the unwitting." He grumbled sourly. Distraction from his unhappy state came in the form of a small (to him) green body wedging itself into his refuge. An eyebrow lifted as the larger male shifted over to make room, hardly begrudging another lonely traveler the only shelter to be seen.
"No." He said softly, his voice a base rumble. "I saw it coming in the distance and have been watching it advance for some time now." He smiled as he sighed softly, settling himself to wait out the storm. "You must be a wanderer too, if you're way out here in a storm like this. I didn't expect to see anyone till I'd gotten closer to one of the prides around here."
Zeus made conversation idly, hoping to break his foul mood with it. A young male wasn't quite as good as a nice woman, but he was better than nothing.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:52 pm
"Yeah, I wander," Njalo admitted gloomily. It had been painful to accept at first--not having a home. "I used to live in the Bahari'Mtoto pride, but that's the only one I know. What prides are there around here?"
Njalo wasn't sure if he sounded naive or not, but didn't want to come off like a complete fool, so he hurriedly added a reason: "I left to search for knowledge from gods. Why do you travel?"
The green lion shifted his weight to get more comfortable, but the constant drip-dropping of water on his forehead was almost too much to bear. He gazed out of the hole in the branches from which he had entered. The onslaught of droplets seemed as though it was never going to end. Resigned to fact that the two were going to be staying for a while, Njalo also gave in to small talk. "Do you have a family?" asked Njalo curiously. The lion seemed big, and though not old, certainly more experienced in the ways of life than him.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:15 pm
Zeus shrugged as he listened, smiling at the trickle of questions from the younger male.
"I don't know, really... I havn't visited them all. I just know there are a few around this place." He turned to look over the other as he nodded. "I was born into it, really, and I've never found a place I wanted to stay. I don't have any family... I don't even know if my parents are still alive and I've never really known any brothers or sisters, or if I even have them. It was never that important to me."
The large male chuckled, despite the rain. He was rather enjoying conversating for once with someone he wasn't interested in taking to sleep with him. "I go where the ladies are, truthfully. I'm not one to take a mate, but I do enjoy having a pretty little thing to spend a night with." A laugh rolled from him. "What about you, young one? What's your name? I'm Zeus, if you are curious."
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:56 pm
Hm, he was ladies man; that gained him respect in Njalo's book. Partly because he couldn't charm his way to a night with a lady if he tried, and partly because he wished he could. Not having a family must have been hard, though; Njalo silently hoped that he would never forget his mother and siblings. Maybe, he thought, he'd even see them again some day.
Yet, crouched under a too-small tree in the middle of a rainstorm, he wasn't optimistic. "My name's Njalo'Umdlalo; I go by Njalo for short," Njalo answered Zeus's question, "And I guess I'm a bit like you in the sense that I can't see myself ever taking a mate--too constricting."
Njalo smiled: he was glad he had some company. Despite the limited room, it was definitely better than waiting out the storm in his lonesome.
In the back of his mind, Njalo was somewhat interested in these mysterious foreign prides; but they couldn't be too different, he thought, why waste his time looking for prides when he was already searching for gods. He ought to choose one or the other, and the obvious choice was gods. This still in mind, Njalo asked randomly, "Have you ever met a god?"
Well, it was bound to come out eventually, being as obsessed as he is. If he didn't ask a question relating to what he centered his life around he would be foolish. Best to get any knowledge he can.
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:31 pm
"Njalo... that's a good name." Zeus nodded as he spoke, committing the name to his memory. Even if he never saw this young one again, he felt like a kindred soul. He wouldn't be easily forgotten.
"Yes, too constricting. There is always something they want from you, and being mated means they have the right to make you do whatever it is that strikes their fancy." Without a female around to hear him, Zeus felt able to speak about some of the reasons he wouldn't settle down with one of his various 'mistresses'.
He hated having someone with power over him to tell him what to do. He wanted to do what he wanted to do and he figured that since he wasn't a bad guy and did do things to help out others, he should be allowed to. That's why he didn't let himself get tied down to anything.
Zeus perked when he heard Njalo mention gods, turning to eye the youngster thoughtfully. "If I have, I didn't know they were a god, or goddess as the case may be. Creatures like that, with so much power in their claws... well, better to avoid them and the trouble that's bound to follow in their wake. I have enough trouble just in my day to day life without all that mess." A chuckle rolled from him as he shook his head.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:33 pm
"Avoid?" whispered Njalo incredulously before he could stop himself. His mind had been directed solely at the mention of this new view. "But... I mean--" Njalo struggled to right any offense he may have made to Zeus, "Just with all that knowledge out there, isn't some of it worth knowing?"
He paused for a moment, then decided it was safe to confide in the orange lion, "I've met the God of Leadership, for instance, and he told me how to be a successful leader--to tend to the people--isn't t-that important?" Njalo had gotten extremely riled over the whole matter, and took a moment to calm himself.
"Now if only we knew the secrets of the Goddess of Rain and understood the reason why she saw fit to release this downpour," he said in a lighter tone, trying to brush off the embarrassment of momentarily losing his cool during the short outburst. He supposed they shared enough views that a difference in one shouldn't matter much.
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Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:46 pm
The orange male smiled indulgently over the younger male's obvious upset at the comment, letting him ramble a little and calm before he said anything.
"I'm sure some gods are worth know, kind and benevolent, but there are just as many that are cruel, unthinking, and apathetic to mortals. Knowledge, while good, can also be a dangerous thing. To know how fast a viper can kill with its bite may be a good thing, but I doubt it was for the creature that discovered it first hand." He chuckled softly as he imparted some of his humble wisdom.
"Take this goddess you speak of. Perhaps she has a good reason for the rain, but what if she is only in a bad mood and is taking it out on us by making it rain? And on top of that, what if she dislikes mortals and decides to flood us out when we get close?" A laugh burst from him as he tossed his head back, droplets splattering from his dark mane. "All I'm saying, child, is that curiosity can be a deadly thing. And the level of danger that goes with the curiosity is multiplied many times over when you're dealing with a creature so powerful that they can control the world around us, like this Goddess of Rain."
He shook his head gently as he looked down at the other male. "That is why I prefer to avoid them altogether. Let them do as they do, and I will do as I do, and we'll both be happy for it."
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Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:32 pm
Well, Njalo couldn't deny that Zeus had a point. But surely the good outweighed the bad... the creature that died by a vipers bite could have prevented numerous other deaths by providing such information. He shuddered at the the thought.
But what if gods weren't as all knowing as he thought. Primitus had only been a cub--had acted almost like any other cub... What if, using the ongoing example, the goddess of rain only made the rain pelt at the earth because she was frustrated no matter how much water poured out of the sky, the grass would not turn green. Perhaps she did not understand the ground's need for a little water everyday, like a lion... Or maybe she was just angry. Njalo agreed with Zeus in one sense--they couldn't possibly know the motive unless she flat out told them.
Njalo sighed, "I suppose you're right, there are good and bad. But I can't stop searching now, even if it'll be my undoing."
He could understand Zeus's stance on the matter, but then again, he thought, the gods control things in both Njalo and Zeus's everyday life. Even if someone doesn't seek gods out, he would still be affected by their actions. Njalo wanted to use the current situation as an example, but then he remembered with a pang of guilt that he was seeking gods and goddesses out--for all he knew, the rain could be his fault; the rain goddess would be trying to get him to go away...
Which must mean she's near! Njalo's stomach gave a lurch; he was having second thoughts. As much as he wanted knowledge, would he really risk coming face to face with the being that unleashed this storm?
Suddenly realizing that he had been silent for quite some time, lost in his thoughts, Njalo motioned towards the rain puttering just beyond the cover of the tree and asked, "How long d'you think it will last?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:41 pm
Zeus watched the young male for a little bit as he thought through the things, watching as the gears turned in his head. It was good to think, to mull things over and work them out in your own mind. A smile curled on the orange male's face as he turned back to watch the rain fall and the clouds roll over the sky. It was kinda lovely in it's own way.
He nodded as he listened to Njalo speak, letting him reason it own on his own. He had said his own mind on the subject. There was no point to beating it into him or anything like that. Did no one any good.
"Sometimes there are things one must do, no matter what the outcome is. I understand that." Zeus said softly. "Its not something you can deny, even should you want to, I suppose." He smiled benignly, murmuring things that were noncommital.
When the male came back to himself and spoke a legitimate question, he nodded and turned back, his tail gently flicking. "I'm not sure, young one. Its hasn't been raining real long... I think it'll last long enough that we could nap for a time before it ended." His smile turned back to the rain, actually starting to enjoy the storm a little. "If you want, you can. I can watch over you till you wake again."
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 11:37 am
"A nap... sounds good," whispered Njalo, without really putting any thought into his answer. He hadn't had a chance to rest lately, and he needed some more sleep before he could think things over more.
"Thanks again, Zeus," yawned Njalo as he curled up a little tighter, then added, "I don't want to keep you, though, if it stops raining, you can leave, I don't think I'm in harm's way, hidden by this bush." He smile contentedly at Zeus, thankful for the discussion the lion had provided, and the protection he had offered, and then laid his head down on his fore-paws, and drifted readily into sleep. His mind was full of gods and goddesses, rewarding him, ruining him, but he gradually manage to push them out of his mind, one by one, in order to get the first quality sleep he had had in a long time.
((Sorry, I'm not very experienced at roleplaying--should he wake up in the same post?))
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:49 am
The world grew quiet as the young one slept, only the patter of the rain and the roll of far off thunder to break the silence. Zeus found his eyelids growing heavy and allowed himself to doze lightly, though if anything had come near he would have been awake in an instant. It was a comfortable moment and he found himself surprisingly content. Was this what it might have been like if he'd had a son (or stuck around to see if he'd had a son)? The idea of raising and nurturing a young mind to adulthood held a strange sort of appeal, if nothing more than for the pride of knowing he had made that being as it was.
Sometime while they napped the rain slaked off, the drops falling only occasionally now as the clouds thinned and lightened, a few shafts of light breaking free here and there to illuminate the damp ground. Orange eyes blinking away sleep, Zeus struggled to rouse himself, standing to emerge from under the bush and stretch luxuriously. He shook the water from his dark mane and fluffed it a little to dry, his claws cutting into the ground to sharpen them.
When he was done waking himself, he turned back to the little shelter he'd shared, his head tilted as he looked over the adolescent. He looked rather peaceful there, but Zeus didn't feel right just leaving him there. Well, he'd just make sure Njalo knew he was going before he did, since he didn't really have any obligation to care for him now. A paw reached out to push at the green male's shoulder, rolling him gently back and forth as he sought to wake him.
"Hey, kid. The rain's stopped."
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:38 pm
Njalo moaned lightly as he tried to force himself awake. When he managed to sit, he yawned widely and stretched. He began to paw his eyes to get the gunk out, but gave up and looked up at Zeus through still-blurry eyes. Though completely unaware of the lion's thoughts, had had a similar feeling, only the reverse. It was nice having a father figure around for once--Njalo had never had one before. Come to think of it, he had never met his father... that part of his life had always been shrouded in mystery. He had dreamed about if, had he stayed, his mother would ever had told them who he was.
It didn't affect him much nowadays, but his first conversation with an adult lion in so long brought back his doubts about leaving. "Thanks, Zeus, " mumbled Njalo, still tired, "And thanks for the conversation, as well. It was good to have someone to talk to."
Another yawn erupted from Njalo's mouth as he stood and crawled out from under the bush. "I hope you have fun and good luck on you travels." He smiled sadly, he would miss the company, but was sure he was bound to run into someone else eventually once he got into the jungle.
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:53 pm
A grin lit over Zeus's face as he watched the young male wake, straightening up drowsily. It was rather endearing and he found himself thinking the kid had potential to be a lady-killer with the right kind of training. Right now, he had youth on his side and the artless charm that came with it. Females would want to coddle him. When he grew up, he could be a strong figure that made females feels safe and secure, something they could cling to... much like Zeus himself.
Maybe that was why Zeus found himself drawn to Njalo. The adolescent reminded him of himself. They really were similar in a lot of ways, or similar to what he'd been at that age.
"Don't mention it, Kid. It wasn't anything hard to do and if anything, I should thank you for keeping me company through the storm. The life of a rogue is glamorous, but tends to get lonely at times like this." He chuckled, shaking his head. His eyes followed the youth as he slipped from the bush, deciding it time he got a move on too. Lifting his body from where he'd sat, he stretched to ease the kinks that came with sitting in a cramped position for so long.
"Same to you, Njalo." He chuckled, giving his roguish grin.
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