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 Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:31 pm
AIM LOG: demonstration_evil & _ p a o cx Bui was quite bored with the usual stresses. He had, as usual, been training with his mother and observing her organization of the rapidly forming pride... but he could only take blatant organization for so long. He wanted something else to do... something that required a little more... brute force. His mother had said that was necessary from time to time, considering their mission... but still, there were other things to go about doing. He couldn't let himself think of blind violence, that would do no good.
No, now was the time to get to know his fellow pride members and demon hunters who might help him in the times to come. Their mission was dangerous, and allies were important. Always key to know who they could trust when hardship struck. He was certain that his sisters would be able to maintain themselves... one way or another, he supposed.
But he had... slightly higher aspirations than the others had for him. Despite his young age, he had a goal. And it started with allies.Gray eyes stared boredly at the stone before them, a little paw reaching out and rolling it to one side as though it'd do something to entertain him if he...moved it. With a gruff sigh the little cub tossed the rock aside and looked around, wondering what to do with himself now that his two brothers had gone off on their own. For now, anyway. They were orphans, and for a good while they had only each other to take care of. No one else was around, and though he was the youngest of the lot, Phae usually took it upon himself to make sure that they were always safe. That no one was going to hurt them...but now, now things were different. Their mother had shipped them off to some pride or another that supposedly hunting these so-called demon lions. Pfft, absurd! But...well, it was better than having to fend for themselves, he figured. They had an adoptive mother, who he appreciated, of course, but...she couldn't replace their real mother....whoever she was. The thought brought a picture to flash across his mind - a red lioness - and then it was gone. The cub shook his head a little curiously, raising a brow.
"What the.." he mumbled, then almost closed his eyes to try and bring it back. However, his eyes caught sight of a juve a good way's away, and it brought the curious look back. That particular juve was usually beside some adult lioness almost all the time...why he would on his own was beyond Phae, but he left it at that and went back about his business, hoping that the other hadn't noticed him.
"Nothing to be bothered with, Phae," he said to himself, his voice a little shaky. "He's just...a part of the pride. No big deal, he's no one dangerous. No one...dangerous, no.."Bui spotted the little cub almost instantly. His mother's words. 'Best to know your surroundings. Know who's around you, know who could hurt you, know who could help you. Know if there's a hole you could fall in, because that's something you want to know before you wind up in it.' His mother had never abandoned him, and he never feared that she would. His father had left him and his two sisters long ago, but that had never particularly bothered Bui. They had Xinavane, and she was all they needed. Her, and the mission. Besides which, Xinavane had always told them to be respectful of their father, wherever he was. He was, after all, a God and of great importance for... something or other. Xinavane had never exactly been specific. After all, she didn't really believe in Gods. Bui was a little unclear on that part, but he had discovered it was best to just accept things when it came to his mother.
"Hello there." He said to the smaller member of the pride. Be polite. His mother had chided him on his problems with talking down to other creatures, even ones of higher rank than he had. When he had talked back to her, it had heard him a swift kick in the rear. 'You respect your mother and your elders!' And so he did. How could he not agree with those set in their ways, as he was? "You're..."
He had no idea what the cub's name was, actually. Another one of his problems. His mother would know, after all she had to keep track of everyone in the pride and make sure they were alive and well, every day. Keep them fed, make sure they ate properaly, check the water supply... how she kept it all straight, he had no idea. But he was learning. He had to observe, and then try for himself. Otherwise he would never have a worthwhile position in the pride, "I don't know your name, I'm afraid. I'm Buibui'Sefu." That seemed about right, didn't it? Wait, he had left out 'sorry'. But then, he had never used the word 'sorry' in his life, and he didn't actually plan to."I know who you are," Phae replied quickly, his eyes wandering here and there, almost as if he couldn't stand to keep them in one spot. It was awkward, socializing, and he didn't understand why his brothers would want to go off and do just that. But they'd always been different, right from the start the three, though initially inseparable, had never been alike. With a small smile Phae glanced at Bui, his introduction still hanging in the air. He had overheard a conversation a while back, as he was passing, which was how he'd caught the other's name. By accident, but he knew it all the same, didn't he? The red cub cleared his throat just then, figuring he could control himself for just a bit so he could introduce himself. His tail, however, seemed to disagree with him, as it continued to twitch every so slightly. It was noticable, though, if you looked.
"My mother named me Phaethon," he said, his voice steady, albeit slightly high-pitched. He couldn't hide the fact that he was a tad nervous, no matter how much he wanted to. "You're...always with your..mother, is she? You never..leave her side, so why now?" he asked. His voice was starting to shake again, as was a paw of his...strange. Then again, he'd never been very normal to begin with.
"My brothers...are off wandering, do you know them? They are.." and he thought a moment, and furrowed his brows. "They are......" he tried again, but their names didn't come. "Well, their names are escaping me right now, but they're a fun lot. There's two of them, have you met them?"Bui blinked a few times, watching the other lion. A strange thing, to be sure. He had never met another creature so very... unsure of himself. A bit like Bui's sister Hima, on note, but Hima had many redeeming qualities besides her nerves. She didn't want to disappoint, and that was a powerful motivation by all accounts. This boy was... interesting. Different. And that was something else.
"Phaethon..." Bui said, testing the name thoughtfully, "Right. Whatever you would call yourself...." But the boy had been very specific. His mother had named him. Bui didn't know... and frankly didn't care whether his mother or his father had named him. It was just a name, "My mother, yes, Xinavane, the Ardhi. If you live here..." And he was quite certain that the boy did live there. He and his brothers certainly ate there, and Moto had brought them there, and Xinavane had told him that they were members of the pride... so they counted. "You should know that he is here to protect you... a sort of mother, if you will." Xinavane did take care of the pride when the warriors were away, so it had to count for something, right?
"But my mother trains me, and she watches me. She insures my success, for the sake of the pride, of course, along with my sisters. She would do the same for your brothers, I'm sure, and for you, if you asked her." The better his mother looked, in the end, the better he looked. He loved her. He wanted her to be the happiest of creatures... "But... despite the fact that I am happiest with her, everyone needs time alone from their families. After all... you are alone, instead of with your brothers, aren't you?" He satd back, smiling casually, "I wouldn't know, I don't have any brothers... and I don't know yours very well either."
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:33 pm
The strange twitch in his tail seemed to have traveled up to his paw, and as he watched the older lion this said paw started to idly tap the ground beneath it. It wasn't an irritating noise, not to Phae, but with the company the cub lifted the paw up so the noise would stop. The twitch remained, much to his dismay, and he worried it would move up to his neck soon. During the conversation, actually, which he didn't want. Luckily for him he was good at ending conversations...but, this juve intrigued him just a bit. Which may or may not keep the conversation going..he would see.
"Both my mother and father left my brothers and I," he openly shared, eyes darting around again. "She kept my sisters...yes......all of them, there were lots, I remember. She kept them...but had my brothers and me taken here...wherever here is." And Phae thought for a moment, about where 'here' was, and a small smile came to him. "Home, that's what this place..is..." he said slowly, "Home...Moto took us in as her own...and she feeds us. Trains us...all of us...takes care of us...like mother would.." The smile widened, though it was a little eerie, and the flash of a red lioness came again. "Mother.......you have a mother. She trains you, you said? And...she would train us..?"
Strange, how this juve was willing to share his mother with other cubs. It was, he figured, because he had a mother to share. It was a passing thought, however, and his mind skipped to the next one. "My...my brothers went off on their own. I'm still here, where we were sitting this morning......." his paw started shaking again. "Eating, and playing...but they got bored. Like you seem to have gotten bored..with your own family for.....you know, the time being. Yeah.." The cub smiled awkwardly at Bui, and lowered his paw to the ground. It had stopped moving by now, but the twitch moved up a bit to his shoulder.
Bui watched the twitch. It was... odd, very odd indeed. But he knew better than to mention anything. He was arrogant, to be sure... though not openly. His mother had alwyas said that one must be established in order to show arrogance. One must prove that they are better than others. And while Bui had proven himself better than demons and non-hunters simply by merit of being among the demon-hunters, he hadn't yet displayed anything that would show he was the best of his peers. Not yet. He couldn't look down on a fellow demon-hunter. Not yet.
"Then I would say that your mother did you and your brothers a favor, by bringing you here." He said, and he genuinly believed that much, to be certain, "You need to know... Phae, that you are amongst the most brave and skilled warrios alive, who fight against evil and seek to change the world and protect the innocent. Your mother probably gave you to Moto in hopes that you would change the world." Bui most certainly would have had any of his children train amongst champions. Or... champions in his opinion anyway. "And yes, my mother would train you. She takes care of this pride. It would be her duty."
"Ah... no, never mistake curisoity for boredom. One must never be bored with their family... for they are one of the few you can be assured will never betray you... as long as you stay close to them." Bui said, remembering his mother's words and teaching well, "You should ensure that you are friends with your brothers... but if you're truly bored with them, then perhaps I can be of some assistance?" Bui said, grinning brightly, despite his less-than-sunny disposition, "Consider me a friend and ally, Phae, as long as you hunt demons, or desire to grow and hunt them some day. I know I do."
Phae looked almost angrily at the other, though he quickly masked it with a cough so he had an excuse to look downward. It wasn't that he'd gotten offended, of course not, but mainly because Bui had complimented his mother, who (in Phae's eyes) deserved neither praise nor gratitude, even though she'd been the one to carry him in his earliest years and given birth to him. She had banished them, for no reason (he assumed) other than being male. It was disgusting, and it took the cub a moment to gather his thoughts. The anger, however, had come as a distraction of sorts, and his twitch subsided for the time being. Phae slowly lifted his head, and his small smile had stayed just as small, if not smaller, than a moment earlier.
"Maybe...she did.." he replied, then shrugged. "Why she sent us, I don't think it matters, no...just that she did, and that we're here now. And we won't...no, can't....go back.." Another shrug, then he cleared his throat, eyes darting to one object after another, occasionally landing on Bui. "You...you're curious? About what...there's nothing here to be...curious...about. There's me..but I'm a lion....nothing...different, aside from my...family, no?" The cub examined himself a bit. He looked at his paws, his shoulders, even his tail and the little tuft at the end of it, and he concluded that they looked nothing alike. "And..well, looks...too.....I guess.." he finished, a sheepish grin on his face.
"I..am friends....with my brothers," he went on, a slight bit of irritation flashing across his expression. It wasn't everyday that they left him alone, and whenever they did it was always a weird experience for the young cub. "We have...only each other.....as blood family. No one else. We have each other...and we have...this pride as a home." Phae struggled with what to say next, but he knew he needed a friend besides his brothers, and he owed this pride much for his survival, so with a sigh he nodded his head. "We....will embrace this...pride as our own.....it is our home, the one we'll remember when we're older...yes. This pride's beliefs...it's members....its goal, we will accept it all. I will...for certain.....Phae will hunt demons...yes, yes he will.."
Bui tilted his head curiously. He had seen anger, but he didn't understand why, and he did not believe that it was directly related to him. Strange for Phae to have issues with his mother, Bui wouldn't have understood for a moment how to feel angry with his mother. Perhaps his father, simply because he had left his siblings and himself, but Xinavane had never felt bitter about it, nor had she displayed any bitterness, so it had been hard for any feelings of anger towards his family to rub off on Bui. Only aspirations of greatness and a zeak for demon-slaying had ever managed to firmly attach itself to him.
"Well... I suppose she had her reasons, but now you are here and we will be your family now. Blood is... important, but it is not everything." Bui said, believing that much. After all, brothers in arms were bound to become brothers in blood one day. Whether their own... or someone elses, "And my curiosity is aimed at all the members of our pride. Yours especially, because I do not know your brothers or you very well. And I do know the others, at least a little."
He nodded when Phae spoke of his brothers, "I am glad to hear that you and your brothers are such good friends. And that you will see this place and those in it as your home and your, hopefully some day, family. You should always embrace this place, and it's belief, for that will make you and your brothers proud. If your mother cannot see how powerful you have become, then that is her loss and our gain. I have high hopes for you, my friend." No higher than his hopes for himself, of course.
At some point while Bui talked something inside the cub's head clicked, and he felt a bit...more normal. Like himself, sort of. It might've been the anger that triggered it, or the company. He had noticed a while back that things always seemed more strange when he was alone. He made friends when he was alone, but they were never around when he had company. They came to keep him company when he was alone, but that was it. It was a curious thing to notice, but he shook it from his mind.
Phae looked at the juve strangely, flicking his tail from one side to the other as Bui continued to talk. When he finished, Phae wondered what he could say, really, to keep the other from wanting to know more about him. True, they would be working together for a good amount of time, but some things were best left alone - like his little problem. If he said anything normally he'd probably up his curiosity. But...it'd take some effort to sound convincingly troubled, as far as his way of talking was concerned. He was too lazy to put in the effort though, so he figured he may as well deal with it sooner, rather than later. Besides, the less secrets the better, right?
"I don't really care what my mother thinks of me," he said gruffly, not wanting to talk about it anymore. "My home and life are here now; that's really all that matters."
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:34 pm
Bui tilted his head curiously at the cub's words. He couldn't imagine not caring what his mother thought of him. The very idea of falling from her good graces was... well, it was hardly something that he liked to think about. She had shown him the path and insured that he and his siblings would fight against evil for the entirety of their lives. What could possibly be wrong with that? He didn't know. But he supposed that if Xinavane had abandoned him to somewhere else... perhaps he would be angry? No. No, he could never hate his own mother.
The cub was strange, for that. But Phae had also said that he wanted to be a demon hunter, and that this was now his home and his family. And Bui could most certainly accept and relate to that. Yes. It was the mission of fighting demons and the forces of evil that was really important. Had his mother or his sisters even changed sides, it wouldn't have mattered to him that they were blood. Any who were demons would perish, he would be certain of that. And this cub had nothing to hold him back from such ideals. A perfect future warrior, in Bui's mind, for her was quite certain that Phae would grow out of his... problems.
"Yes... your home here and the mission at hand. That is all that matters. I am glad you realize that." Bui said, a cold smile creeping onto the juv's lips as he spoke. "Fear not... we will be your family when you have none. I am certain that you will like your life here. I know I do."
It was an eerie sort of feeling, hearing that come from Bui, but it was also comforting at the same time. A moment ago he only had his brothers to call family, and now he suddenly had an entire pride to rely on. He would train hard, become one of the best; he had to, it was the least he could do. This pride had a mission, and he wanted to be a big part of it. It would take some time, but it'd happen. When he was older, they'd see. With that thought in mind, Phae stood on all fours and nodded.
"Right," he started. "I'm sure I will too. Meantime, I'm gonna go beat up a tree. Wanna join me?" The cub didn't wait for his answer, though, and he turned and started walking for where he and his brothers spent a lot of their time together. There was a lone tree stump there, and he was the one responsible for carving the whole first layer off of it, and he'd continue until there was nothing left.
Bui smiled, bowed his head a little, and followed after Phae. He had no hesitation this time... for he felt that he had helped, in one way or another, for Phae to take another step closer to what he needed to be a member of the pride. And that could not make him happier. "I think I shall..." He said, walking after Phae. Hopefully this would be the start of a beautiful friendship. Or rather, an alliance.
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