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 Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:09 am
AIM LOG: Reeshie Hack & _ p a o cx It was a bright day, the kind that Shujaa wasn't fond of, but it meant he had the option to avoid his siblings by lying under a shady tree just outside of the jungle. Both his father and his mother preferred to hunt out on the open grasses, considering their golden and dusty coats. As he grew, he would, too, but right then he preferred to doze in the shade for now.
The young hybrid was a very laid-back creature, even at his young age. He was certain his mother was near-by, since it was Father who had taken Tamu and Kwini on hunting practice. He was glad Father didn't push him. Relations with his older brother were already strained by Shujaa's superior size. He didn't need to throw in his hunting skills, too.Ugh. Sun, and with no shade in sight. Yet. Or...well, at least she hoped that was true. She hadn't run into some convenient little shaded area to keep out of the sun. Staying under it for extended amounts of time exhausted her, especially with the lack of water. So you could imagine her delight when she saw the jungle borders, a familiar terrain that she knew would keep her cool and out of the sun for as long as she needed. No one was particularly territorial there, not unless you ventured deeper anyway. With a huge smile she quickened her pace and, when she finally reached a shaded area, she collapsed onto her side. She wasn't unconscious, just...tired, and she didn't even notice the cub that was lying no more than a few feet away from her.Shujaa looked up when his secluded shade was intruded on by a big cheetah. It wasn't a wonder that he hadn't been seen, he was such a dust and gold cub that he was good at hiding out here on the open land.
"You aren't alone here, I feel you should know that," he said softly, his voice a deep child's. His gold eyes watched the cheetah carefully, ready to run if he had to.Naya opened an eye, not particularly worried about the deep voice. Something about it just didn't make her nervous, and when she saw that it belonged to an interesting looking cub she rolled onto her stomach and look at him curiously. "Well, thanks for the warning," she said, not quite smiling, but not glaring at him either. It was more a neutral expression, the kind she always had on when she stumbled across something she'd never seen before. Like a cub that looked like him. "Are you a...cheetah?" she asked, not able to hold back the strange question. He kind of looked like one, but not exactly....just a little bit different.Shujaa shook his head.
"Yes and no. My father is a cheetah, my mother is a leopard," he replied bluntly, his tone even and offhanded, gold eyes partially hooded, giving him a sleepy look.
"You're a cheetah, right? You look haggard."
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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:11 am
If she hadn't been so tired, she might've taken that last part as in insult and said something a bit mother-like to the little cub. However, she was sure she didn't look all that amazing considering her recent bad luck during her walk. Naya shrugged and lowered her head to her paws. "Yes, and I look this way because I'm exhausted. Too much sun can do that to you." His first answer brought her back to when she first encountered Jishin, another leotah, though female. She didn't look anything like this boy, so she ruled out the possibility that the two were related. "So you're a hybrid, huh?" Her curiosity had dwindled and she closed an eye. "What are you doing out here all alone?"
"Oh, I doubt I'm alone. Mother's probably nearby, keeping an eye on me. She's usually keeping an eye on me," Shujaa replied and glanced around a bit. Sure enough, a pair of bright blue eyes smiled back at him. A lazy smile spread on his maw and he returned his attention to the elder female.
"I imagine it would, though I wouldn't know. The farthest I've been from home is less than half a day's run," he added with a slow shrug.
Naya's eyes followed where the cub glanced and noticed the eyes as well, surprised that she hadn't jumped out to protect her cub almost as soon as she collapsed right nearby him. Though from the way she looked, Naya figured the mother had seen her as little to no thread to her little boy, so the femme shrugged it off. "Well that's good, she's always around." She rolled over onto her side, exhaustion taking over for a moment as she closed her eyes. She really was tired...but she opened them again and sighed. "Half a day's run? That's a pretty long run," she said with a chuckle. "So I take it you don't travel. Have you ever wanted to?"
Shujaa considered the question slowly, his eyes closing in thought. After a few breaths, it almost looked like the lounging cub had fallen asleep. But then his gold eyes, his father's eyes, opened again and he shrugged.
"Sometimes. My parents talk of us traveling to a pride my mother had heard of in her travels with her sister, a pride that accepted all and lived peacefully. And sometimes they talk of just staying here in the jungle. I may, I may not. It all depends on what I feel like in the future," he explained. Of the trio of cubs born to the healer and her knight, Shujaa was the torn one. He had the brains to be a healer like his mother, but he was also the largest, despite being the youngest, of his litter, and had already shown a keen ability at hunting. So of course he got pushed by both parents towards following in their pawsteps. And all poor Shujaa wanted was to be more or less left alone!
She rolled the words around a bit in her mind, considering him to be really mature as soon as she had finished thinking over his response. Actually, just from the way he talked he didn't seem like a cub at all. But, then again, thinking such a thought only made her more comfortable, since she'd never been the greatest when it came to interacting with cubs. And, since his mother was just nearby. she didn't want to say anything offending. "I see," she replied, figuring it to be the safest thing she could say. "When I was getting older I felt I wanted to travel more than anything," she then started, choosing her words carefully so he couldn't twist them around. Not that...he would, but...she was being safe. As she usually went about in her conversations, in most cases. "But now that I'm actually traveling, I kind of just want to stay in one place again. Call me indecisive, if you want." Naya chuckled and closed her eyes again. "I think I'll settle once I find the right place though.."
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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:14 am
The smile that spread on the cubs features was slow and but a bit larger than his original one, and a soft chuckle trickled out of the back of his throat.
"I heard that it worked that way sometimes," he replied, rolling his shoulders a bit before settling more comfortably.
"You think you want something, but when you get it, it turns out what you had before was what you really wanted all along. Me? I just want shade and peace and quiet," the large cub added with a small nod. Of course, he wasn't a seer like his brother, he'd never know that he'd probably also spend a good bit of his time helping others, as he couldn't help but aid those in need.
When Naya opened her eyes she was glad to see that he was smiling, and she smiled as well. "Right. You know you're really smart for someone your age. It took me until adulthood to figure that one out," and she gave a chuckle before rolling back into her stomach. The femme felt a bit more rested now, which was always a good thing. Assuming she'd be comfortable here alone at night, she may just stop here for a good day or two. "Well I wouldn't mind obliging to that," she said with a grin. "I might come back later though, to stop for the night. I'm hungry, so I'm going to grab a bite." She stood back up, and before heading off she remembered that she'd never introduced herself. "Oh, I'm Naya by the way."
"Thank you," Shujaa replied, nodding his head a bit. When she got up to leave, he raised a paw in farewell. "Shujaa! Safe travels, Naya!" he called back and laid down. His mother slowly walked up and lied down next to him. "She's right, you know. My special little boy."
The cheetah heard his introduction and turned around, a pleasant smile on her face. She wanted to at least let him know that she had heard him, and acknowledged his name. She'd remember it, that was for sure. Naya saw the boy's mother, her smile getting a bit wider, then she sighed and turned back around.
Her stomach was beckoning her to the hunt.
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