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 Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:34 pm
 Domevlo had gone through a plethora of changes since making the swamps his home--
Upon arrival, he had felt old and worn. Discouraged, worthless, heaven's dark harbinger,... But he had found something he never thought he would. Kindness had rehabilitated the large lion, and though nothing could heal his disfigured face, his spirit was what was mending. There was youthfulness in his body, once again, and innocence and genuine heart in everything he did. If something was needed, however menial, he jumped to it.
Domevlo felt most fulfilled when he was servicing the pride - the only home he had ever known, that had welcomed him with open arms. It was that kindness alone which made him devote his very soul to it.
At this moment though, Domevlo was taskless. It was a bright sunny day, and light filtered through the canopy of the trees, but did little to soak up the muddy swamp waters. If anything, it made things somewhat more messy. Not to mention that stench.
It had taken Domevlo a while to get used to the swamp smell when he had first arrived, but every so often the weather stirred up new swamp smells that overpowered his nose. I tmade all other smells undetectable untill he got used to the overpowering odor.
Wondering, Domevlo's large paws left prints in half-dried mud. He didn't look foward to cleaning his mud-caked paws later, but walking was better for his mind then laying around, waiting for some task to fall in his lap.
Simply put - he thought too much.
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:50 pm
Distracted, the stocky little lioness wasn't paying any attention to where she was going, her thoughts all turned inward.
WHAM! She stumbled backwards, her violet eyes flying open wide as she tried to figure out what she had run into only to be looking up into a pair of brown eyes. It seems that while she had been thought chasing her body had set a collision course with the male in question.
Wincing, Bekile backed up a few steps, her ears canting backwards. She had only been in the swamps for a month or so and still didn't know everyone. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you and I...oh lord." She sighed again, her tail twitching nervously. The swamps where defiantly her home now but it was all still so new to her.
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:06 pm
To the large lion, the bump hardly knocked the breath from him, but there was diffinately no missing the lioness that bumped into him. With much patience, Domevlo waited for her to collect herself, though he couldn't surpress the slight twitch of one of his ears.
"You are alright?" he finally asked in a voice that was both rough, yet soft, and almost whispery, although his volume was normal enough. It was a voice that one could assume, did not get used very much.
Domevlo couldn't remember ever being properly aquainted to the lioness, though he knew she was a fellow pride member - presumably one of the many that had flooded in within the most recent weeks.
Every time someone new stepped into the pride, Domevlo got nervous. Outsiders were not always so kind once they came face to face. True enough, it had been a while since he had been attacked, or called 'monster!' but there were times that his reception was less than kind.
"Let me, let me introduce myself," Domevlo began. It was obvious, when he spoke, that he was of a friendly, if not timid, nature. "My name is Domevlo. And, you, are?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:22 pm
Blue ears perked forward as she gave him a timid smile. "I apologize again for running into you sir, it was entirely my fault." Her voice was rather deep for a lioness but gentle.
She sat back on her haunches to look up at him, calmer now that he seemed friendly. "It is an honor to meet you Domevlo, I am Thembekile but my friends call me Bekile. As I am sure you have gathered I am a new comer to the swamps."
Ducking her head slightly, as if deferring to the larger male, perhaps she was. This was his home after all and she was a new comer, though more and more she felt welcome in the swamps than anywhere else she had lived in her life.
"I didn't mean to run into you, I have many things on my mind and sadly was paying more attention to the internal then the external."
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:30 pm
"Bekile," he repeated, giving a slight nod. Yes, he had thought she was new.
Domevlo hated to seem like he was nosey, and he wasn't normally one to pry, but--
"Perhaps it would be good for you to talk about what is on your mind?"
Domevlo offered, willing to listen. It was something to do and a part of him figured that it was, indeed, a service for the pride. What if Bekile were to wonder in to danger, like trip over a sun bathing crocodile? Or get stuck in some unrelenting mud?
"I am willing to listen." Domevlo gave a smile, which seemed more like a grimace, as only part of the muscles in his face reacted. The rest gave hardly a twitch.
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:43 pm
The offer brought a soft laugh from her, not at him just in amusement. Her violet eyes sparkled as she smiled more, "Are you sure you want to do that? I have a lot on my mind and I might just talk your ears off."
She didn't show it, but his words had loosened something inside her chest, a tightness that she hadn't even noticed. His willingness to talk to her felt like she was becoming more a part of the pride.
Curling her tail around her haunches, a soft smile crossed her muzzle, "I just learned I am to become a mother." It was obvious that she was delighted by this news but something seemed off. She should be leaping for joy, instead she was quiet.
"And I feel more welcome here in the swamps than anywhere I have ever lived in my life, yet the land and the ways of the pride are still strange to me. I do not want to bother someone but at the same time, I crave to learn."
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:04 pm
"My own thoughts wear more on my nerves than anyone else's tales could possibly begin to." Domevlo explained, as he lay down, and got ready to listen. Laying down, he was just about eye-level with the lioness.
"New life,..." he again gave his odd little smile. Then, as Bekile praised the pride, he practically beamed. "Yes, I feel the same. This place is very welcoming. I've known no other home than here. There are customs within this pride that even I've yet to learn, however. A lot of them. That craving for knowledge that you say you have is a good thing."
Since his arrival, Domevlo could not remember any births within the pride, but he could vaguely remember hearing something or another of some sort of birthing customs, stipulations, or something. trying to recall it made his brow furrow.
"Perhaps it would be best to ask one of the older females here about some of those traditions before your litter is due for this world." Surely they would know. "If you don't mind me asking, who is the father?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:01 pm
Bekile smiled at him as she gazed down at her growing belly."Yes I am looking for a midwife." She said no more knowing instinctively that bringing forth cubs were a female domain and the less a male knew about it, the better. When he asked about the father she winced faintly.
"There was one I grew to care for...but he abandoned me and in a moment of weakness I gave in to a stranger. At first I regretted it...but now I cannot regret such a gift." Her smile was serene and loving then as she lifted her head to look back at him.
"I would like to find a teacher, one that could tell me more about the pride. About the traditions and roles of my new life."
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:36 pm
Domevlo nodded. "I am sure he had his reasons. They always do," He said with a sigh, shifting slightly about. He chose then, to move on.
"I wish you luck. Time is proving an efficient teacher for myself, but,." He shrugged. Bekile obviously didn't have time for being taught.
"I'm sure you will find a good teacher. If the queen were still alive, I'm positive should would have but alas,..." He shook his head.
The queen had been the first to greet him, and welcome him. He'd always hold her high, and praise her, in his mind.
And so that was that. Domevlo, a poor in things to converse about, bid his adieu.
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