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 Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:30 pm
Rishi had no clue where he was going. Despite of this, he could not keep a smile off of his maw. Feelings of excitement and joy bubbled up within him, threatening to overflow and leaving him gasping in its wake. At last, he had a place to call home, he had a purpose, and perhaps he had a future as well. His gaze swept over the surrounding area, searching for clues or landmarks that might tell him if he was going the right direction. Makadara's tour had been very thorough and instructive, but it would take him a long time before he would be able to navigate his way around the pride lands.
Rishi didn't have any family or friends that he could celebrate his joy with, but there was one person he wanted to find and tell. He couldn't call her a friend, or even a companion. Yet. She'd been the first lion he had met on these lands and she intrigued him. He wanted to learn more about her and get to know her. Rishi couldn't explain why he felt so strongly about her, but he did. He wanted to share his news with her and that was why he was searching.
He sniffed at the air, hoping to catch her scent, but there were so many lions that he did not know that lived nearby, it muddled his senses. He would just have to keep looking and hope that he would be able to spot her.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:32 am
The sun had only just dipped past the horizon, leaving the sky in brilliant shades of oranges and pink, streaked with the deeper indigo of the oncoming night. They were nocturnal lions by habit, though some were often up for a few hours before the sun actually vanished. One of those happened to be Zuri, who had a habit of wanting to see and experience both worlds. It also granted her a little alone time when she was first awake, before everyone else was roused from their slumber.
At the moment, she had curled herself up on top of a rock, the last heat of the sun still contained in its surface. Her thoughts centered nowhere in particular, wandering to and fro. She couldn't afford to think too much, not with her mother disappeared and her father caught in the dregs of depression. Her sister didn't seem to think he was going to last very long, but then, what could kill a god? His own in difference? She groaned lightly to herself and rolled onto her back, staring up at the sky where the first stars were dancing against the dying light of the sun.
She couldn't afford to think right now, but what did one do when there was no one to talk to? She needed company, but wouldn't admit to any of her siblings that she did. She was just too proud.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:30 pm
Finally Rishi caught the familiar scent of Zuri and with a quiet sound of joy, he followed it. Upon deep reflection, it might have seemed strange how quickly he had developed some sort of feeling for the female, but Rishi had been too busy to contemplate it. He was content with the fact that there was some sort of connection and that it felt right to him.
Following his nose, he finally found Zuri tucked up on a large rock. The sun was setting in the background and had painted the sky a brilliant canvass of color. It was the ideal setting.
Rishi settled quietly near the rock, not wanting to startle her if she hadn't already noticed his presence. Still, he was eager to share his good news, but something kept him from announcing it right away. Something seemed a little bit . . . off.
"Zuri?" he asked quietly, "Hello there. Is anything the matter?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:47 pm
Lost in the thoughts that she was trying so desperately to shove away, Zuri hadn't heard him approach, nor smelled his scent on the air. When he spoke, however, she didn't seem all that surprised to find herself in the presence of another. She shifted from her back, rolling onto her side to look at him instead, eyes narrowing on his mossy figure in the depleting darkness. Well, she supposed there was always worse company.
"No," she said immediately, her first instinct to let a lie slip quickly from her tongue. Then, with a little sigh, she cleared her throat. "Just some family trouble," she managed, offering what she hoped was a companionable expression. There was no sense in pouring her heart out to someone she barely knew, no matter how inclined she was to steer away from her usual demeanor.
"Is there something you needed?" She wasn't quite used to being bothered unless her family needed something, because most of the time she went out of her way to be alone, at least these days. She just didn't have the heart to be herself.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:22 pm
Rishi wasn't bothered by her offhand manner, but he was concerned. Obviously something was bothering her and though he didn't want to pry, he wished there was something he could do to help. Still, family matters did not include him. So, he would do his best to try and be a good friend and see if he could do anything to cheer her up.
"Well, I just wanted to share some good news. I've been accepted into the pride! And I really wanted to thank you. I . . . I've never really had a home before, and now I do, thanks to you," he said quietly, with a kind smile.
He settled in comfortably in the grass, giving the impression that while he wasn't going to be nosy, he wasn't going anywhere soon. At least he could be some sort of comfort even if he wasn't aware what was going on. He regarded her with an open expression that told her he was willing to listen if she wished to speak.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:59 pm
She noticed the way he situated himself and decided that it was very unlikely that he was going to b going anywhere any time soon. It just seemed as if he was hunkering himself down for a long stay. She wasn't sure whether or not that was a good idea. On the one paw, she did need some company to keep her mind off of things, on the other, it seemed as if he was trying to get her to talk about the very things she was trying to forget. Sometimes life just liked to deal her a bad hand. She supposed Karma was a b***h, after all.
"That's grand, darling," she said with a light smirk, shuffling until she was facing him and lying on her stomach, front paws crossed over each other and hanging slightly off the rock. "I suppose the pride does need new members after all, what with how small the pride is, and how many we've lost." She had really just been trying to make small talk, but the very words she spoke made her screw her maw up slightly, clamping her jaws together. It looked like a vaguely painful expression, and she let her eyes falter away from his own to avoid having to express whatever was in them.
"Grand indeed," she echoed, a sigh on her breath as she looked out at the horizon. What was this about bottled up emotions being bad? She couldn't recall.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:24 pm
Rishi wasn't quite sure how to respond. Unlike so many others that he had met, he didn't know how to react around Zuri. She was the only one who had managed to get under his skin and had certainly gotten his interest. She was so different. She didn't seem to make any pretense about being someone she wasn't. It was obvious that she was stubborn, independent, and had a tendency to lie. Still, in a way she was honest too. She was an enigma and he found her fascinating.
Not quite sure what to say, he nodded. It was obvious that the struggles that her pride -- their pride -- was going through, was painful to her. At least there, he could try to provide some comfort. He didn't completely understand the situation yet, but he could at least try.
"Yeah. I'm afraid I don't know much about the pride yet and I'm obviously just a new member. I'm very sorry for the losses that you have had. I don't know what it is like to lose so many, but I know what it is like to lose family and I am sorry for your loss."
His words weren't out of pity or condescending. They rang with his honesty. Rishi truly meant what he was saying.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:39 pm
She honestly had no idea why he was back to talk to her - maybe it was just because she was the one who had found him, he one who had led him into the pride and given him a home. Maybe that was really all it took to earn someone's eternal gratitude, but then, Zuri wouldn't really know much about eternal gratitude. She supposed that if someone could maybe bring her mother back, she might be eternally grateful for that.
"You don't know how close to home that hits," she said with a soft laugh, shaking her head and letting her eyes fall away from him and down to her paws instead. So, he had lost family, just as she had. "It's actually my mom, she's been missing for a while," she finally admitted, for no reason that she could actually find at all. It just seemed like the right thing to say, she supposed, since he was doing all this opening up.
She frowned at the thought of exactly why she felt the need though, and lay her head on her paws, watching him from where she was perched with her deep indigo eyes.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:46 pm
Rishi returned her gaze directly, his expression reflecting hers. He understood loss after all. It was strange. What she was explaining, he'd already gone through. His mother had been gone for a long time. He had no idea if she was still alive or not. For years he had tried to find her. He had traveled countless times, searching for some sign or notice of her. Nothing. The loss he felt had the dulled effect of time, but he was sure that hers was still sharp.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I lost my mother too. I know that is no comfort to you, but I do understand what you mean."
It was like opening up an old scar, but Rishi wondered it telling her about his mother would help her at all. It couldn't hurt to try. So, he found himself telling the story he had never told anyone before.
"I was just a cub. We traveled a lot, my mother, my father and I. Never together. Something had soured the relationship between them. For a long time, I was with my mother. Then, one day I woke up and she wasn't there. Instead, my father was and he told me that she was gone and that she was not coming back. To this day, I don't know if she is alive or dead. It's been a long time," he said softly, gazing at his paws, remembering.
He looked back up at her and caught her gaze. "I'm very sorry about your mother. Is there anything that can be done?" he asked, simply.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:03 pm
"Yeah?" she said, her ears perking a little as she watched him. She could feel the uneasiness in the air, the fact that he was about to tell her something he had never told anyone else. Instead of groaning, or making some snide remark as she probably would have to anyone else, she simply forced herself to shut her gab and listen to what he had to say. She was putting out an effort, that was for sure.
"That had to be difficult, I'm sorry," she said gently, and was quite surprised with herself to find that she actually meant it. She was a grown lioness whose mother had left (grant it she did have quite young siblings), not a cub whose mother had walked out on her. Even if she had no idea where her mother was, she could still survive without that knowledge. "That's kind of how it is with our mother right now. We don't know where she is, if she's dead or alive, and we probably never will." She frowned, looking down nd away from his eyes, flicking her tail.
"We do still have our father, but he's not handling this well, and none of us are really sure how long we'll still have him around to be honest." She was opening up even more with every passing second, and though her brow furrowed deeper and her frown became more and more visible, it seemed to help whatever was wrong deep down.
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:16 pm
Rishi was struggling with conflicting emotions. Speaking about his mother had brought back the memory of her. She'd been such a kind female, quiet and soft, but also very protective. She'd been a wonderful mother and he still missed her. Still, he wasn't going to pity himself. His pain was old, she was feeling new pain. Especially with her father.
At least Rishi had had several great years with her father before he'd passed away. At that time, he'd been older and was ready to take care of himself. He'd never had to worry about the possibility of his father pining to death over the loss of his mother. If he'd lost both of them at once . . . he wouldn't have made it.
Rishi gazed up at Zuri solemnly.
"I'm so sorry. Is there anything to be done? I never had to worry about that with my father."
He hesitated before sitting up and meeting her gaze directly.
"I know you and I barely know each other and that you have no reason to trust me, but is there anything I can do to help? I know what it is like to lose family and I would hate to see that happen to you."
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:28 pm
The problem Zuri was having with this conversation at this point was the fact that she didn't know how to explain to him the difficulties with her father. He wasn't mortal, and his death didn't depend on things like eating or sleeping, or generally being healthy like others. No, her father was a god, and his life depended on something even she didn't know how to explain. Right now, it looked like it was just his sheer will to live, and without her mother, that didn't exist anymore. Pretty soon, he wouldn't exist anymore.
"I'm afraid there's nothing anyone can do," she said softly, chewing at the inside of her cheek. She did, however, lift her head as he sat up and gazed directly at her. "This is something my dad would have to pull himself out of, but I don't think he will." A frown formed across her maw, her brows furrowing as she thought about it. It was hard to believe that he just wouldn't be there soon, that he'd stop.. existing.
As much as Rishi was trying to help, though, she just couldn't explain this to him. Although, just talking did seem to help. She let out a soft sigh and looked down at him from her perch, rubbing one paw against the side of the rock. "I think all we can do at this point is wait. Aliona doesn't think.. she doesn't think he has long."
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:45 pm
Rishi gazed at her sadly. He really was at a loss of what to say. He wished that he could try to find a way to help Zuri and her family. But what could he say? What could he do?
Moving from his sitting position, he stood, and gently hopped up onto one of the rocks close to where Zuri was perched. He wouldn't try to invade her space, but perhaps some closer contact might help.
"I know that I have said it a lot, but I really am sorry. I feel very sad for you and your family."
Aliona? He wondered who that was, but was unsure if he should ask. It really wasn't any of his business and he was sure she wouldn't want him sticking his maw where it didn't belong. Still, there was no real harm in asking.
"May I ask, who is Aliona?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:25 pm
Her bright eyes followed his movements in silence as he stood, then leaped up to a closer rock, putting him up on a more even level with her. She supposed that did make things a little easier, when she looked at it as a whole. She didn't have to keep talking down to him, and it was nice to have him closer, though she couldn't have exactly said why.
"It's alright, I understand that you really.. mean it." She twisted her maw into a frown even as she said, realizing it was vaguely awkward. Why on earth was she so uncomfortable in these sorts of situations? What about heart-to-heart chats made her feel so out of place? She wished her father were more able-minded, so she could ask him if it had anything to do with inheritance.
"Aliona?" she tilted her head at the thought, letting her eyes sweep down and away from him, "Aliona is my sister. She's much more compassionate than most of us, she's been taking the best care of him that she can manage, really." She felt guilty, honestly, for not being there more for there dad, but it was all just so.. complicated.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:59 am
Rishi nodded while thinking. A sister. Well, he had wanted to know more about her, though he wished for her sake that the knowledge wasn't so sad. Still, the bad always came with the good and he wanted to know everything about Zuri and her family that she was willing to share. He didn't have any family left, so the idea of siblings was foreign and intriguing to him.
"Sister? Do you have a lot of siblings? I never had any, so I don't know what it is like. Do you have a large family?" he asked politely, hoping that he might be able to take her mind off of things. Granted, if they were still discussing her family, it was unlikely to take her mind off of her mother and father. Hopefully though, talking about the situation might make her feel better.
"I never really had much of a family," he mused quietly, almost to himself. "Never was part of a pride. I lived the life of a rogue, just wandering around, traveling everywhere. But it wasn't what I wanted. Even with the sadness and the struggles, I wanted a home, a pride, and a family."
Realizing what he said, Rishi glanced up, embarrassed and hoped that she hadn't caught the last of what he'd said. He didn't want to give her the wrong idea . . . or, well, scare her off or anything like that.
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