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 Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:37 pm
Iana had just recently come back from hunting. Her new life in the Dawnwalkers was leaving her slender and muscled, in the best shape of her life. Still, the life of a Huntress didn't lend her to meeting much of the pride. It was not seen as a very high rank, but Iana had not been raised in the red land and lacked the proper training to do much else. So she had sat her lessons with the young of the pride and been schooled in the ways of the ruins-dwelling lions, and sent on to join others of her rank in feeding the better educated classes of the pride. She felt no resentment for this job; she was proud to lend her skills to this.
Still, she wished she could meet some lions close to her own age. She had yet to make any close friends here, and Iana felt a bit lonely. The peach-toned lioness took a public space in the shade to recollect her energy, close to a source of water.
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:58 pm
Knowing his limits, and the fact that the sun would get to its peak soon, he slowed himself down and walked off the tingling in his legs to the nearest oasis. There he paced around the banks before stopping and lapping up water into his dry mouth. Not too fast, not to fast, he had to remind himself. Once his stomach was heavy with water he turned a lazy eye to his surroundings. Often he'd meet a familiar face out here; water was a common resting place for anyone in the pride, because of the rare shade.
He tilted his head a little, his damp white bangs sliding away from his eyes as he did so. Over in the shade was a lioness, one he hadn't seen before. Since he had been born here, he assumed she must have been an immigrant.
"Hey there," he said easily, "Haven't seen you around before."
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:26 pm
Iana was surprised to see such a dark-pelted lion in the desert, lifting her head from its cradle of her forelegs to watch Farasi as he entered the oasis. She cocked her head to one side, not really paying attention to him. The peach-toned lioness was pinker than the sands of the sacred pridal deserts and stood out a bit, but far from the degree that he did. She could tell by his build that he was one of the pride, though. He was one of her kind, a hunter.
The lioness inclined her head to Farasi as he greeted her, knowing that she was foreign to his eyes. She had put on some much-needed weight since coming here, but she was definitely the first generation of her family, with no ties to the Blood of the pride.
"Hey. Nah, I'm a pretty new joiner," Iana told him, nodding at him, her teal eyes half-lidded in the shade. "My name is Iana. You grew up here, no?" she regarded him, stretching out further, flicking her tail, interested in him. It was always a blessing to meet another member of the tribe, and this one seemed young and vigorous.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:02 pm
"Yeah, I did. I've got a lot of family here, sometimes it's hard to keep track," he said. He stretched his legs out in front of him, feeling his warm muscles protest a little. His back arched and he leaned out just a little farther, extending his claws and then slumping back with an exhale. A little tired, but without any remaining tension in his body, he decided to lay down out across the sand, sharing the large patch of shade Iana occupied.
"I'm Farasi," he added, almost as an afterthought. His ton was causal and without stress, as if he were talking to someone he already knew. "What brought you out here? It still makes me wonder, you that come here from the grasslands and such. Not that I'd leave." No, he loved his home, despite its harsh climate. But he did wonder sometimes how strangers came to love it too. His grandma told stories of lands wet all the time and green and to come here after that...well he almost wanted to laugh for some strange reason.
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Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 12:00 pm
Farasi confirmed her suspicions and Iana nodded curtly, wondering how he would treat her, a non-native, ignorant of the pride's ways throughout her youth in a way that he had never been. Still, he didn't seem too elitist to avoid sharing the shade with her, and she watched him stretch lazily, knowing how that felt. There was something great about the hunt, something that was really living to it, but in the terrible head of the red sands it was tough work. Work for the faithful.
She was almost affronted that he had not mentioned his name, thinking this would be the slight levied upon her outsider self, but when he told her she relaxed, mildly relieved. He was friendly, she thought approvingly, and curious about her, to her surprise. Iana shrugged, looking out over the oasis, beyond whose meager borders stretched untold fathoms of sand and scrubland.
Why had she come here? It was a pertinent question with a non-trivial answer. Iana sensed his amusement and knew that she should be amused too, but honestly, the trip that had brought her into the Dawnwalkers' lands had not been a pleasant one.
"The grasslands are nice and all," she began, shrugging. "My sister ditched me a few times and I wandered all over. Then I damn near got chased away by her pushy mate. We decided to part on friendly terms but I didn't want to be anywhere near them, not for a while. So I ended up wandering out here and getting lost, pretty much. Finding this place was sheer, dumb luck, in that sense," she grinned.
"Now that I'm here, I'm not going back. At least I kind of belong here," Iana flicked her ears. "Although it is very different than the place that I grew up." She regarded him curiously as she finished, inclining her head.
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Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 7:43 pm
"Must be hard, to be separated from your family like that," Farasi said. He did not elaborate, offer sympathies or swoon over her loss. He acknowledged it, understood the ramifications of it, but did not dwell on it. Hardships didn't make a person. Instead it was their choices with how they handled those hardships and she had made it clear what her choice had been.
"I admit, I have to admire you a little...choosing to come and stay in a strange place. Even if we're hospitable, it can't have been the easiest of choices." He rolled over a little where he lay, shifting so he could see her better as they conversed. His body still remained relaxed, the same ease he'd carry with an old friend. "But I'm glad you did. It's nice to have you here." He was sincere in that; the more the merrier in his mind. Having a big family he'd always felt that way, but perhaps it was also because so many of his relatives had drifted in from the grasslands.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:41 pm
Iana sighed. "Yes, it is, sometimes," she agreed wearily, her eyes distant, looking out over the southern horizon, obscured by some growth around the oasis. Somewhere down there her half-sister, the only family she had left, dwelled with a black lion and their cubs minus one son. The poor dear had been sent up here by his ruthless father and he lived in her rooms now. Her half-nephew was a bright, adorable, fuzzy little creature, though he had grown since his arrival, being trained in the pride's ways.
She appreciated Farasi's honesty with her, and she smiled at him, a true smile, the corner of her eyes rising, amused. The lioness tilted her head as he rolled over, his playfulness charming her, and she perked up her ears, quirking an eyebrow at him. "That is so sweet of you to say!" she laughed softly, not mockingly, but with delight, leaning down to give him a teasing lick on the nose, pulling back and winking at him.
"You make me feel like family already," Iana flirted flicking her tail. "You mysterious dark-pelted lion of Khenet."
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:00 pm
"If that's all it took to be mysterious...wow, I wish I'd known sooner," he said in good humor. He took her tease with ease as well and an appreciative grin that perhaps had a bit of flirtatiousness mixed honestly in.
Farasi leaned forward a bit, pushing himself up a little on his forarms as he tilted himself a little closer to her. He offered with a bit more seriousness, but none of the heaviness that went with that tone, "Everyone is family here. Or that's what most of us like to think. It might not help with that separation, but it is something we're all happy to give."
He laughed a little, "But not just for you, for ourselves too. It's a bit of a selfish idea, in a way." Despite what he was saying, he did not seemed ashamed by this notion.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 8:35 am
Iana was pleased with his reaction, but she tempered herself, not wanting to look as eager as she felt to befriend someone in the pride. Her lonely spirit yearned for companionship, even if it was only temporary, and his kindness comforted her, syrup to her weary mind. She allowed a delicate flutter of her lashes, coy, amused by his half-serious response, lowering her head as he leaned closer to her, raising her near eyebrow, and nodded appreciatively at his words, glancing down at the sandy earth beneath their bodies, not sure what to say at first.
She glanced up, intrigued by that final remark. "Your people are lonely, too?" she asked, truly curious to know the mind of the pride. "That's... a little sad, truthfully," she smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I suppose we're all alone to some degree. Though I am grateful for the pride's warmth and acceptance, and I do have little Zari to look after now.." Iana quickly added, not wanting to seem aloof and ungrateful for the pride's great friendliness in taking her into their fold.
"It is good to know that this is a place where most are welcome," she inclined her head, the warmth returning to her smile as she regarded him. "Though I must wonder what it is that we must yearn for even when we have each other here. The gods?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 10:03 am
"Lonely? I don't think we have to be lonely to want the company of others. Perhaps some of us are. But I know...I just can't get enough. The company of those like you is very satisfying." He closed one eye, a gesture that was almost a wink as he smiled, but it stayed shut for a bit as he watched her with the other one.
"Zari?" he asked curiously. The named sounded familiar, as hers had, but only from having heard it vaguely. He hadn't met her. But now he was curious. "You have a daughter?" The tone was actually a pleasant one. There was no indication having child caused him to think less of her, or find her less interesting. In fact, it seemed the opposite.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 12:48 pm
Iana felt a little giddy and a little embarrassed as he flirted with her, pleased. It had been so long since she had just sat and spoken with another person, let alone a lion as big and handsome as Farasi. She was a little drunk off his presence. "The feeling is mutual, I'm sure," she quipped back playfully, a mischievous glint in her eye, flicking her tail and stretching out a little more herself, laying on her side.
The lioness looked up at him, grinning as he mistook Zari's gender, shaking her head gently. "No, no. He's my nephew. Well, half-nephew, I suppose. His brute of a father had him sent to stay with me. My sister Akinyi would never make the cub brave such a trip alone," she sighed, a bit of irritation in her voice, but also weariness, as if she had grown used to the idea of her half-sister living with that dark-furred brute.
"He's a darling, and he's gotten older but he's still a bit of a handful," she smiled fondly. "But he'll be a member of the pride, too. So I'm not totally on my own, you see," Iana turned her smile on him, returning the almost-wink, wrinkling her pink nose playfully.
"It's very nice to actually talk to someone like a civilised creature again," she laughed, her face relaxing.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 1:24 pm
"Really?" Farasi closed both his eyes for a moment. A small wrinkle in his brow showed that he was contemplating Zari's abandonment with distaste. It was a terrible thing, to have a father throw you away so deliberately. He found he had a hard time imagining it. He had, after all, been raised in a loving, if strange family. He let out a deep breath and then opened both eyes. There was no use dwelling. What was done was done. "Well, he's more than welcome here. Maybe he should come and play with some of my siblings. I've got some younger ones that'd probably enjoy another playmate."
He stretched, hiding a bit of a grin at her last comment. "I'll tell you a secret," he said as he finally forced himself to stand. "I think my civilized bit is just because I'm worn out." He'd probably rest a bit longer today, but later tonight he'd be back to pushing himself in one way or another.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 2:24 pm
Iana stared at his face as he closed his light eyes, making his dark face blend together, admiring the strong outline of his features against his white mane. She appreciated the disgust at Unzu's betrayal of his son, sensing a kindred spirit in Farasi, or at least a creature she could see eye to eye with. His offer made her smile with delight, and she sat up a bit, lifting her head, ears perking forward.
"Really? That would be wonderful. Zari needs more friends his own age. He'll nearly be an adolescent soon," she sighed, happy at the thought of her nephew frolicking with playmates his own age.
The pale lioness looked up at him as he stood, cocking her head as he said he would tell her a secret, curious. Then she laughed, delighted at his remark. Amused, she rolled onto her feet, not rising yet, her smile fading as she thought he might be standing to depart. So soon? She'd enjoyed his company so much, she felt a bit disappointed and tried to hide it in her tone.
"If you're so worn out, hunter, why do you stand? I like your company and I'm tired too," she looked up at him, her expression a little guarded, her offer unspoken to avoid looking foolish.
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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 4:29 pm
"I'll see what I can do then. It'll be good for all of them," he agreed. He was sure his half-siblings would appreciate the new friend.
He tilted his head to the side, his light bangs across his face as he looked at her. He looked away for a moment then, out across the sand. "Well, I plan to rest a good deal more while the sun's high...I have some dancing to do tonight. I was getting ready to go back to the dens, where it's cooler."
He slipped his silver eyes back in her direction and smiled, "Like to come along? Though I understand if you'd rather stay instead of make the walk. Were I a bit buffer, or a little less lazy, I'd offer to carry you but...we'd probably just end up in the sand."
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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:40 pm
Ah, of course that's what he meant. Iana was a bit embarrassed, climbing to her feet as well as he offered for her to accompany him, smiling sheepishly. "Oh, of course! I would much enjoy that," she laughed, the sound coming easier, amused by his teasing, and shouldered up against him lightly, nudging him playfully and bounding forward across the sand, flicking her tail, eyes bright, ears perked up.
"You're a dancer?" she quirked an eyebrow, looking over his frame again, curious to see. "I shall have to see this," the lioness smiled at him, tilting her head, then turned and headed back towards the temple and the cool dens.
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