Lisirra
Safiya ambled through the graveyard, kicking stray bones as she walked. She had become depressed as of late. Ever since she met the goddess Kairi that day by the river, she had been thinking of the future, and how few prospects it held for her. She longed for some purpose in her life.
Sighing, she flopped lazily onto the ground, a cloud of dust billowing around her.
Sighing, she flopped lazily onto the ground, a cloud of dust billowing around her.
Baneful
Ausha had been waiting, waiting for what, he wasn't sure. A change, a sign, something. He didn't want to leave the graveyard, but something pressing but somehow insubstantial played on his mind. He couldn't just stay here and wait to grow up, he needed power, and lots of it. Seeking out the gods themselves seemed the best way towards his ends. After all, hadn't his mother said she met a goddess all those years ago? Surely they must still walk the earth?
Well he would find one, he told himself, beat seven shades of hell out of it and make it give him strength.
He didn't for one moment actually consider that gods, by definition, were not easy to beat up.
"I'm going out for a bit Chomo, be a darling and guard the graveyard while I'm gone." he stated bluntly to the red lion.
Chomo, surprised by this abrupt decision, raised a brow, but being the obedient lion he was, nodded. "Can do."
And with that Ausha headed a little further out of the graveyard, almost walking past Safiya. He caught on eventually and paused in his stride.
"Hello there."
Well he would find one, he told himself, beat seven shades of hell out of it and make it give him strength.
He didn't for one moment actually consider that gods, by definition, were not easy to beat up.
"I'm going out for a bit Chomo, be a darling and guard the graveyard while I'm gone." he stated bluntly to the red lion.
Chomo, surprised by this abrupt decision, raised a brow, but being the obedient lion he was, nodded. "Can do."
And with that Ausha headed a little further out of the graveyard, almost walking past Safiya. He caught on eventually and paused in his stride.
"Hello there."
Lisirra
Safiya, used to being alone in her graveyard haunts, was startled by the appearance of the charismatic male lion. She had seen him only briefly before. Seeing him brightened her mood a bit.
"Well, hello," she said pleasantly, mentally proud of her improved speaking ability. Other than "hello," however, she wasn't sure what to say to him. He intimidated her - just a little bit.
"Well, hello," she said pleasantly, mentally proud of her improved speaking ability. Other than "hello," however, she wasn't sure what to say to him. He intimidated her - just a little bit.
Baneful
Ausha was unaware of the effect he sometimes had on others, so casually swept himself into a sitting position without a second thought. Despite his limp, his movements were still incredibly calculated and fluid. Sweeping some mane out of his bottomless blue eyes, he spoke on despite the breif awkward silence. Ausha was a lion capable of holding conversations with himself, he talked so much.
"So darling, what brings you out here? Mulling your thoughts? Collecting bones? Whatever you are up to, I know the feeling. There is just nothing to DO around here. I was the very same way myself this very morning. And you know what I said? I said, what I need is some ACTION. Some of the good stuff, you know, fighting, bloody wars and the like? Stuff to make the blood burn."
His rambling conversation with himself took a more enthusiastic turn, his usually over-expressionistic mannerisms intensifying.
"So I said, well if I want to be strong, and I also want some fun, why don't I go take on the gods themselves? They can't be all that. I mean I've heard stories og how they all have weaknesses and stuff. It should be a piece of cake."
He sounded painfully, naive and stupid, but that was the plan. Ausha always had something planned in that bizarre mind of his. However, most of the time, said plans were twistier than a corkscrew and a lot less logical.
"So darling, what brings you out here? Mulling your thoughts? Collecting bones? Whatever you are up to, I know the feeling. There is just nothing to DO around here. I was the very same way myself this very morning. And you know what I said? I said, what I need is some ACTION. Some of the good stuff, you know, fighting, bloody wars and the like? Stuff to make the blood burn."
His rambling conversation with himself took a more enthusiastic turn, his usually over-expressionistic mannerisms intensifying.
"So I said, well if I want to be strong, and I also want some fun, why don't I go take on the gods themselves? They can't be all that. I mean I've heard stories og how they all have weaknesses and stuff. It should be a piece of cake."
He sounded painfully, naive and stupid, but that was the plan. Ausha always had something planned in that bizarre mind of his. However, most of the time, said plans were twistier than a corkscrew and a lot less logical.
Lisirra
Safiya blinked. This guy liked to talk more than she did. Not to mention, she had never been called darling before. And yet, he somehow knew what it was that she was feeling.
"Oh, goodness," she began. "Have you ever had the feeling that your life simply..has no purpose? That you really have nothing to look forward to but the same old thing, day after day?" She shook her head - of course Ausha never had that thought - and sighed heartily. "I am begining to feel like that.
"It is simply that I.. have no goals. I spend most of my time wandering around this dusty old graveyard. Of course, sometimes I venture out into the pridelands to catch my prey, but..." Thinking of the last time she did this reminded her of her encounter with the goddess.
"I met a goddess once," she interrupted herself, changing the subject abrubtly. Thinking about Ausha's comment about taking on the gods, she continued. "But she was really nice. She said we could be like almost-sisters!" The happy memory made her smile to herself. "I do not think she is one to fight, however..." she couldn't understand why Ausha would want to figh such a nice and beautiful lion like the one she had befriended.
"Oh, goodness," she began. "Have you ever had the feeling that your life simply..has no purpose? That you really have nothing to look forward to but the same old thing, day after day?" She shook her head - of course Ausha never had that thought - and sighed heartily. "I am begining to feel like that.
"It is simply that I.. have no goals. I spend most of my time wandering around this dusty old graveyard. Of course, sometimes I venture out into the pridelands to catch my prey, but..." Thinking of the last time she did this reminded her of her encounter with the goddess.
"I met a goddess once," she interrupted herself, changing the subject abrubtly. Thinking about Ausha's comment about taking on the gods, she continued. "But she was really nice. She said we could be like almost-sisters!" The happy memory made her smile to herself. "I do not think she is one to fight, however..." she couldn't understand why Ausha would want to figh such a nice and beautiful lion like the one she had befriended.
Baneful
Ausha listened to Safiya and momentarily flicked his ears back, an odd unreadable expression taking over him. It seemed that the female, just for a moment had read deep into his soul, that place where he didn't let anyone, not even Chomo, see. It was for that reason that the sudden defensiveness took him. "Not really, my life always has a purpose, I make sure of that." It was a bare faced lie really. If anyone had problems, it was Ausha, and the endless days of nothing to do had turned him even further in on himself. Not to mention certain emotions he wouldn't touch with a barge pole.
Then, as though he had never even gone defensive, he added. "Well then dear, what you need is to find a goal, something to strive for. Snatch the very stars from the sky and show your worth. If you feel stagnant, you've stopped moving. If you feel bored, you are wasting time." he flashed her a winning grin, his tail swishing behind him.
"And time wasted is time you will never ever regain."
He listened intently to the other's recount of the goddess and his smile turned a tiny bit sinister. "Not the fighter eh? Here's hoping they are all like that."
And Ausha needed, in his own mind, no more reason than what he gave himself.
He was the kind of creature who would smash the world, just to hear the sound it made as it broke.
Then, as though he had never even gone defensive, he added. "Well then dear, what you need is to find a goal, something to strive for. Snatch the very stars from the sky and show your worth. If you feel stagnant, you've stopped moving. If you feel bored, you are wasting time." he flashed her a winning grin, his tail swishing behind him.
"And time wasted is time you will never ever regain."
He listened intently to the other's recount of the goddess and his smile turned a tiny bit sinister. "Not the fighter eh? Here's hoping they are all like that."
And Ausha needed, in his own mind, no more reason than what he gave himself.
He was the kind of creature who would smash the world, just to hear the sound it made as it broke.
DDB
Mchele padded alone through the dry grasses that matched almost perfectly with his coat. His mother was alot more relaxed with her children wandering and exploring now that they had made their home in the Pridelands, and also because her two cubs had grown a little larger. And so Mchele was taking the opportunity now to check out some of the areas within their borders... he still wasn't that good with his directions, although he was careful not to go so far that he could no longer see the tall point of Pride Rock jutting up from the otherwise flat plains.
However as he came closer to the boarders of his homelands, the dark fog-heavy area of the graveyard appeared on the horizon and he couldn't help but take a wander over that way. The cheetah he had met earlier in his youth told him to avoid hyenas, amongst other things, but no one had mentioned the graveyard...
However as he came closer to the boarders of his homelands, the dark fog-heavy area of the graveyard appeared on the horizon and he couldn't help but take a wander over that way. The cheetah he had met earlier in his youth told him to avoid hyenas, amongst other things, but no one had mentioned the graveyard...
Lisirra
Safiya, never the one to really notice things in others, missed the fact that Ausha had reacted internally to her statement. However, his poetic words held great meaning to Safiya, and her admiration and respect for Ausha began to grow.
She gazed at him a moment, then sat up and gazed wistfully across the barren land. "I only really have one goal," she said slowly, almost forgetting she was speaking to another. "Truly, I just want..to have a family. Just to be around other lions that I care about, who care about me.."
Then, waking from her dreamy state, she blushed in embarrasment at her silly wish, and looked again at Ausha. "It is not very ambitious," she admitted. "But whe I am grown, maybe it would be possible..." she stopped, not wanting to reveal her innermost wishes to the imposing male who probably wasn't even listening.
The white lionness tried to direct the conversation away from her embarrasing remarks. "Perhaps, maybe some time in the future you can meet Kiari. She did say she would come to visit me here from time to time..." For a moment, she wondered where her winged friend - one of the only friends she had - was at that very moment. "Why do you want to fight the gods so much?"
She gazed at him a moment, then sat up and gazed wistfully across the barren land. "I only really have one goal," she said slowly, almost forgetting she was speaking to another. "Truly, I just want..to have a family. Just to be around other lions that I care about, who care about me.."
Then, waking from her dreamy state, she blushed in embarrasment at her silly wish, and looked again at Ausha. "It is not very ambitious," she admitted. "But whe I am grown, maybe it would be possible..." she stopped, not wanting to reveal her innermost wishes to the imposing male who probably wasn't even listening.
The white lionness tried to direct the conversation away from her embarrasing remarks. "Perhaps, maybe some time in the future you can meet Kiari. She did say she would come to visit me here from time to time..." For a moment, she wondered where her winged friend - one of the only friends she had - was at that very moment. "Why do you want to fight the gods so much?"
Baneful
Ausha listened, wether he appeared to or not. In fact, normally he came across as barely interested in anything, but in reality, he paid close attention to others. Other lions were the key to success when you were as small and physically weak as he was. Once again, he felt a pang of empathy with the lioness, her wish was far from stupid, he himself had spent so long seeking out a family, finally recovering his lost mother, only to find that it had been too long, the spark that should have grown between them died.
Then he had met Chomo, who his feelings towards were a muddled mixture of possessiveness jealousy and something else.
Oh it wasn't a silly wish at all. He gave her a cryptic grin but said nothing until she had finished.
"Fighting the gods is the easiest things I could do to avenge all the wrong done to our kind. Were I to go after every creature who has hurt me or those I hold dear, I should run till I die, and even then never get them all. Kill the gods and you destroy what they represent, perfection, and perfection spawns imperfection. It's more straightforward than seeking a family. I know I found that out the hard way."
He gave her another unreadable look and a grin that could have been wry or in jest.
"Who knows, maybe the gods will win. Even if they do, I could care less. I'd rather live in darkness than a world where something as simple as love is harder to find than the gods themselves."
Tied up and hidden in his words were hints to his deepest self, but they were no more clear than the mud found after the rains.
He knew nothing at all of the pridelander who trod the ground he called his own. Not yet.
Then he had met Chomo, who his feelings towards were a muddled mixture of possessiveness jealousy and something else.
Oh it wasn't a silly wish at all. He gave her a cryptic grin but said nothing until she had finished.
"Fighting the gods is the easiest things I could do to avenge all the wrong done to our kind. Were I to go after every creature who has hurt me or those I hold dear, I should run till I die, and even then never get them all. Kill the gods and you destroy what they represent, perfection, and perfection spawns imperfection. It's more straightforward than seeking a family. I know I found that out the hard way."
He gave her another unreadable look and a grin that could have been wry or in jest.
"Who knows, maybe the gods will win. Even if they do, I could care less. I'd rather live in darkness than a world where something as simple as love is harder to find than the gods themselves."
Tied up and hidden in his words were hints to his deepest self, but they were no more clear than the mud found after the rains.
He knew nothing at all of the pridelander who trod the ground he called his own. Not yet.
DDB
Intent on at least getting a peek at this strange place, Mchele carried on a bit closer.... and closer. His pace got slower as he drew forward though until he found himself very close to the boarder, where the grass died out and patches of barred dusty ground began to cover the area under his paws.
The place made him shiver as he looked out over it. White bleached bones lay scattered here and there in clumps where great beasts had fallen and been consumed. He gave a little wimper. What a horrid place! He would have turned away that very instant too, except movement caught his eye. Was that... two lions? He'd never seen such ones before, so white! Even paler than his sister!
The sound of insects buzzing and his own quiet foot-falls, helped the muffled sound of their voices float towards him although they were too distant to be heard clearly.
The place made him shiver as he looked out over it. White bleached bones lay scattered here and there in clumps where great beasts had fallen and been consumed. He gave a little wimper. What a horrid place! He would have turned away that very instant too, except movement caught his eye. Was that... two lions? He'd never seen such ones before, so white! Even paler than his sister!
The sound of insects buzzing and his own quiet foot-falls, helped the muffled sound of their voices float towards him although they were too distant to be heard clearly.
Lisirra
Safiya begin to feel more and more connected to the mysterious monochrome lion. Of course, she was more peaceful than he, but she was begining to see that he had lived a life simmilar to her own, only much sadder, and he responded to it with more anger than she had. Safiya simply had rolled over and let life beat her around; Ausha wanted to fight back with a vengeance. She was begining to understand.
Guided by this connection she now felt, she decided to continue with her previous thought. Long had she wanted to express this to a listening ear. "Someday, in the future, I would like to have my own family.." she began. "I know that I will never find my mother or my father. So instead..I would like to have many cubs of my own and surround myself with loved ones...And I would never leave my children the way I was left..and I could adopt those orphans that find their way here, as I did when I was orphaned.." for a moment, she lost herself in the happy image. Each sentence popped out of her mouth before passing her brain - she had never thought these things before, but instantly it became her concrete plan for the future.
Safiya did not, however, share Ausha's view on the gods. The only one she had met was a lot like herself, very friendly and naive. Kairi was her friend, so all gods were, to Safiya, as nice and caring as her. She wasn't sure what to say to Ausha's powerful words regarding them.
She had not yet noticed the little cub heading their way.
Guided by this connection she now felt, she decided to continue with her previous thought. Long had she wanted to express this to a listening ear. "Someday, in the future, I would like to have my own family.." she began. "I know that I will never find my mother or my father. So instead..I would like to have many cubs of my own and surround myself with loved ones...And I would never leave my children the way I was left..and I could adopt those orphans that find their way here, as I did when I was orphaned.." for a moment, she lost herself in the happy image. Each sentence popped out of her mouth before passing her brain - she had never thought these things before, but instantly it became her concrete plan for the future.
Safiya did not, however, share Ausha's view on the gods. The only one she had met was a lot like herself, very friendly and naive. Kairi was her friend, so all gods were, to Safiya, as nice and caring as her. She wasn't sure what to say to Ausha's powerful words regarding them.
She had not yet noticed the little cub heading their way.
Baneful
Ausha listened quietly to what the female had to say. This alone was something, he almost always felt the need to add his own little sarky comments to other people's conversations. The image of a content family flashed across his mind like some imaginary dream, he had never known a happy family.
And he never would. He knew that with a gut wrenching certainty that made him feel as though he were falling, it was a side of himself he ran from, but was there, callous to his own happiness. He would never truly be able to care for a female as a mate, his only hope for cubs of his own someday would be to simply "hit and run"
"That /is/ a thing to strive towards. You should keep at it, right the wrongs given to you. That's what I'm doing, the only way I can. After all, we are all just dying one day at a time, might as well make the best of it, eh?"
It was then, with muted fury, that he noticed the other lion watching them. It was hard not to, that radiant yellow stood out against the white of the stone like the sun shining over the moon. What if he had chosen to say something he might have regretted? This lion would have heard it all! Ausha didn't say anything at first, just strolled seemingly without purpose in the direction of the other. Then he snapped round with a grin to face Mchele and purred
"Hello there mister eavesdropper."
And he never would. He knew that with a gut wrenching certainty that made him feel as though he were falling, it was a side of himself he ran from, but was there, callous to his own happiness. He would never truly be able to care for a female as a mate, his only hope for cubs of his own someday would be to simply "hit and run"
"That /is/ a thing to strive towards. You should keep at it, right the wrongs given to you. That's what I'm doing, the only way I can. After all, we are all just dying one day at a time, might as well make the best of it, eh?"
It was then, with muted fury, that he noticed the other lion watching them. It was hard not to, that radiant yellow stood out against the white of the stone like the sun shining over the moon. What if he had chosen to say something he might have regretted? This lion would have heard it all! Ausha didn't say anything at first, just strolled seemingly without purpose in the direction of the other. Then he snapped round with a grin to face Mchele and purred
"Hello there mister eavesdropper."
DDB
There wasn't much hiding area at all once the pridelander had gotten futher into the dusty areas beyond his homeland. Really he had meant to stay in the grassy bits... but without his brain seeming to realise it, his paws had taken him in further as he found himself wondering more and more about these two lions. What were they talking about? Were they nice? He had met some nice lions... though not many his own age besides his family. Perhaps he should listen more and see what these two were like? Snippets of the conversation came to his twitching ears. Family... loved ones... rights and wrongs... But disjointed as they were they didn't make much sense.
He crouched down, despite the clear lack of cover, when the larger of the two, a male, wandered a little closer to him.... fortunatly he didn't seem to notice. At least that's what Mchele thought until the white and black juvenile spun around and spoke to him quite clearly. It made the young juve jump out of his skin and Mchele sat bolt upright, one front paw lifted in case he needed to leap to his feet.
"Huh?! Wha? Oh!! Oh eaves-what?" He hadn't thought of listening being such a bad thing. But now that he had their attention he couldn't think of what to say and glanced between the pair. Well this was the fast way of findng out if they were friendly or not. sweatdrop
He crouched down, despite the clear lack of cover, when the larger of the two, a male, wandered a little closer to him.... fortunatly he didn't seem to notice. At least that's what Mchele thought until the white and black juvenile spun around and spoke to him quite clearly. It made the young juve jump out of his skin and Mchele sat bolt upright, one front paw lifted in case he needed to leap to his feet.
"Huh?! Wha? Oh!! Oh eaves-what?" He hadn't thought of listening being such a bad thing. But now that he had their attention he couldn't think of what to say and glanced between the pair. Well this was the fast way of findng out if they were friendly or not. sweatdrop
Lisirra
Safiya felt badly for Ausha. He didn't think he'd ever have a family to be a part of? It was a sad concept, but not entirely unreasonable. To Safi, Ausha did not seem the "family man" type. Not many females would put up with him as a mate, she thought. Safi did want to have a mate some day, but not now, of course - and he would need to have a gentler personality than Ausha possessed.
She wasn't sure how to respond delicately to his fatalistic comments. She opened her mouth to try and say something, but was distracted by a tiny tan speck, moving in the distance. At the same time, Ausha noticed the little lion, and spoke to it. Safi stood up, ready for anything. Her time spent in the graveyard had made her wary of everything and everyone.
She wasn't sure how to respond delicately to his fatalistic comments. She opened her mouth to try and say something, but was distracted by a tiny tan speck, moving in the distance. At the same time, Ausha noticed the little lion, and spoke to it. Safi stood up, ready for anything. Her time spent in the graveyard had made her wary of everything and everyone.
Baneful
Oh it was so hard for Ausha not to let history repeat itself and turn the whole conversation into a way of making the other, well bred cub feel bad. However, somehow, he managed to get a grip of his more taunting side and restrain himself. No snide comments. Not yet.
"Eavesdropping. Listening in on conversations. What you were doing." he stated bluntly, still a little edgy
"Hello anyway." he said with a swish of his tail
"Eavesdropping. Listening in on conversations. What you were doing." he stated bluntly, still a little edgy
"Hello anyway." he said with a swish of his tail
DDB
Mchele fixed his eyes on the male speaking to him. It wasn't hard to see all the scars on the other one's fur yet he was only a little larger than himself! What was had this one been up to? Was he a traveler like the cheetah had told him? He'd never seen him in the pride, nor the white female.
More and more, the golden cub found himself feeling out of place and he even chanced a look back towards home and safety.
"What I was doing?... I was just..." He stopped short when he realised that yes, he had been listening. Ah and apparently that wasn't a good thing to be doing he figured, from the blunt explaination he had recieved. "Well I didn't hear anything." He tried to defend himself lamely. "Yeah, hello! That's what I had meant to say. So hello... Umm are you travelers?"
It was an odd question but it was what Laio had described herself as.
More and more, the golden cub found himself feeling out of place and he even chanced a look back towards home and safety.
"What I was doing?... I was just..." He stopped short when he realised that yes, he had been listening. Ah and apparently that wasn't a good thing to be doing he figured, from the blunt explaination he had recieved. "Well I didn't hear anything." He tried to defend himself lamely. "Yeah, hello! That's what I had meant to say. So hello... Umm are you travelers?"
It was an odd question but it was what Laio had described herself as.
