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 Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:38 pm
 Daire felt completely rejuvenated after a great night's sleep. The branches were wriggling and chattering with life. There was a family of birds in the tree looming above him, singing their morning song and inviting him to start his day. With a yawn and a stretch, Daire stood tall on his paws and scanned the horizon...
Alone. Like usual.
He was still full from yesterday's meal... It was not the time to hunt yet. Instead he would continue on his lonely journey across the rogue lands, looking for something to define him. Somewhere to belong... But it seemed so endless. But, the scenery started to change. It was greener here than in his home land... And he noticed an abundance of water sources. They were all strong signs that this was a good place to live. But if nothing stopped him from leaving, he would pass right through... completely unnoticed.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:08 pm
Clermeilli-Pie had been very slow lately on traveling, but she had kept going just for the fact that she wanted to get as far away from where she had met Roth as possible. Oh, she still saw Roth from time to time. She could not shake him, and had no intention to really. But she wanted to find a place to have the cubs that suited her.
The dry heat of the savanna did not appeal to her for cubs, especially since some of the cubs could take after Roth in his dark coloring. She would not wish to lose any cubs to the harsh sun. But she did want to have them soon. They were starting to get heavy. She looked to a tree above her and sat down. She took the opportunity to rest and look around.
It was better than that dry heat was. It also looked like a good spot for game, and of course, the best part was plenty of water. She perked up her ears to listen to all the sounds and thought she heard something crack. Was that a twig? She looks around.
It could be anything, but there were a lot of dangerous creatures even here, she was sure. She raised her head and looked around to survey the situation. She thought she caught a glimpse of a dark spot, but she was not sure what it was.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:32 pm
A blur of gray sped across Daire's path and skittered over his red toes. Wide-eyed and curious, the lion crouched to peer into the bush the rodent had just concealed itself in. But the lion saw only darkness, and the mouse chattered and rustled the foliage angrily. With a gentle chuckle, the lion shook his head and prepared to continue his journey... But quickly came to a sudden stop.
Across a rotting green log, Daire had spied a movement of blue. Naturally, the lion began his investigation. "Hello..?" His voice rang out with caution, intentionally filling it with a placid tone in hopes of establishing an alliance rather than a rivalry. But once Clermeilli-Pie's form came into full view, Daire swiftly leaned into a full-body bow... His feathery red bangs sweeping over his crystalline eyes.
"M'lady..." Remembering previous encounters, Daire hoped the female wouldn't find his title for her offensive. He brought himself up once again, standing as majestic as he could manage before he introduced himself. "I'm called Daire." Finally noticing the lionness's buldge of an abdomen, he reminded himself to be particularly gentle in her presence. And as he gave their surroundings a quick look-over, he couldn't help but think she was out of place... "Pardon my intrusion but... are you lost?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:02 pm
Clermeilli-Pie watches the lion and tilts her head to the side curiously. Did he just bow to her? Yes, he did. She was a little taken back by that. She wondered if he was mocking her at first, but he did not seem to be. He did not have the creepy air that Roth had. If she was any judge of character, she would say that this male was trying to be as kind as possible. But that aside she would tread lightly anyway. She had been wrong about others before, though not too often.
She watched him note her belly and wondered if it made a difference to him. Then he looked around them again. Why, she was not sure, but he did it. The question actually made some of it make sense. He must have thought she looked out of place here. "No, I am not lost... I am travelling... This seems like a good place to have cubs... and I wish to look into rumors of a pride somewhere in the jungles."
She pokes her nose out to sniff at his blue markings. Nope, not painted. That made her happy for some reason. "Are you lost, Daire?" She gives him a close look up and down before adding. "I am called Clermeilli-Pie, and your question is no intrusion.... but I do thank you for your politeness. I value politeness." She lowers herself to the ground. "i have to rest my paws, please do not mind me."
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:16 pm
Daire a subtle nod to respect the mother-to-be's decision of bearing cubs here instead of the blazing Savannah plains. He watched with an inquisitive air as the strange female reached out to sniff.. his cheek? That's quite an interesting way to greet someone. Maybe it's part of a culture Daire was yet to encounter.
"No, I'm not lost... I'm just searching. For what, I'm not sure." The lion smiled politely as he received her name, burning it to his memory with an echo. "Clermeilli-Pie."
When the female shrunk to the ground, a variety of mixed feelings struck the lion. Gratefulness, the lioness was comfortable enough to let her guard down in his presence. Worry, who knows how long she's been traveling? ... And more more worry piled on top of it as he glanced and sniffed around the forest once more to discover the lioness seems to be alone. He looked to the blue female again, speaking quietly so he wouldn't wake her if she was attempting to sleep. "Where is your mate? Is he lost?" With a frown, Daire hoped he wasn't prodding at a delicate matter. But this was a matter of genuine concern. A lioness just should not be alone when they're ready to give life to infants. It's wrong.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:44 pm
"Your markings are interesting... they are so at odds with the rest of you, I thought they might be painted at first." Clermeilli-Pie shifts a little to put the weight on her back paws more than her front. This also keeps most of the weight off her belly. She did not wish to squish the cubs, but she certainly needed to give her paws a break.
She notices his worried look and watches him closely. "I do not have a mate." Clermeilli-Pie stretches her toes, claws peeking out for a moment, and relaxes them again. "The father of my cubs comes and goes, following me, but for his self-serving demon reasons not for any fondness of me." Why this male was concerned for her, she was not sure, but it was rather sweet of him. "You look concerned, Daire. Is something wrong?"
Clermeilli-Pie noticed she was a bit of a mess. Her paws had quite a bit of dust and plant matter stuck to them. She started to wash them, still keeping an eye on the male. He was rather handsome, and sweet. Why could she have not met someone like him instead of Roth? It would have made little difference, she guessed. She probably would have ended up knocked up either way.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:11 am
She doesn't have a mate. This reminded Daire of the days when he was his own sister's midwife. No one bothered to care, everyone tossed her to the side like a piece of trash... except him. Daire missed his sister, and his frown only grew deeper at the thought of her.
The dark lion emerged from his thoughts when a question was appointed at him. "Yes, Clermeillie-Pie, something is wrong. You're alone and you're pregnant." His voice vibrated with his concern, as if this was absolutely unheard of. "I will guard you until your cubs learn to walk. In the mean time, I encourage you to stay off your paws. Too much exertion is bad for the babies." He said these things as more of a command than an offer.
Daire made himself comfortable as he found a spot nearer to the lioness to rest. All of his senses scanned the forest as he began his duty to guard Clermeillie-Pie. Every twig snap and every rustling bush would be investigated from a distance.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 10:41 am
The way he made things sound so dire, so wrong just made Clermeilli-Pie laugh a little. "It is not so bad. I am a good hunter and when Roth comes to check on me, he helps with the hunting." It was sweet that the male cared, but she did not see why he should worry so over her. It just made no sense; she would have to learn more about him before she understood his concern.
She was too tired to take offense at the commanding tone. "That is nice of you to offer..." She trails off into a yawn and eases herself onto her side. Clermeilli-Pie really wished Zimo was here right now so she could con him into letting her use him as a pillow. He was not the smartest lion, but he did make a good pillow.
Just about the time she was getting comfortable to rest, her stomach protested. Drat, she needed to get back up and go find dinner. She started to get up, slowly, and contemplated what might be nearby to hunt. Her stomach growled louder as she rolled back onto her belly and paws, and even louder just as she went to stand up.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:11 pm
"I don't doubt your strength or skill." He turned to watch her with twinkling blue eyes, his ears still swiveling as if they're constantly scanning their surroundings for danger. "But as long as there are cubs inside of you, you owe all of your energy to them." He was already concerned for the cubs' well being, the lioness has obviously traveled far... This must be her first litter.
After a brief moment of returning his attention to the forest, Daire heard Clermeilli-Pie's gut roar with hunger. That will need to be fixed, but as the female began to move, Daire gave her a gentle grunt. "I'll hunt for you. No need get up." He nosed at her forehead in a reassuring manner as he started into the foliage. "I don't know what meat you prefer... I don't think there are many zebra or gazelle in these..." He failed to remember what this type of terrain was called. "Lands... But I will find something."
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:19 pm
Clermeilli-Pie started to bristle at his words, but the twinkle in his eye made her sit back down. "If you keep this up, you will spoil me, Daire... and I am not even your mate." She nuzzles his cheek when he touches her forehead. "I eat whatever I can catch... usually small creatures."
She purrs as she watches him leave. She should be offended. She should be paranoid. But instead, she was enjoying this. He was just so sweet and caring... and not intimidated by her like Zimo usually was. Yet this male was darkly colored even if he was not the pushy cold demon that Roth was about everything.
Bewitching looks, just enough back bone, AND all the caring sweetness wrapped into one male? This had to be too good to be true. She was probably dreaming. Must have laid down and fallen asleep or something. She looked around her and really looked at everything. Nope, not dreaming too much detail to be a dream. Her stomach rumbled again. Definitely not a dream.
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Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 5:17 pm
Nodding, Daire swiftly disappeared into the jungle. Armed with keen senses and razor claws, the lion began his search for food. Today he wasn't just feeding one lioness. He was feeding several cubs as well... And the thought gave him an eerie advantage over whatever unfortunate snack was lurking in the foliage.
A rustle and a snort alerted Daire that there was indeed something lurking in the foliage. Daire let his hunting instincts override his protective ones for just a moment as he crept closer. His tail flicked, eyes straining as he tried to see through the bush. Another snort and a grumble. Daire decided it wasn't a feline. It sounded like a warthog... a young one. But he couldn't see it to make certain. Nevertheless, he jumped into a swift pounce and landed on the fat thing, hooking his claws into its flesh and bringing it down with a crash. The creature was strong as it thrashed and squealed under Daire's weight. But the lion overpowered it as he punctured his fangs into where he believed its neck would be. His neck was thick and blubbery. This thing was no doubt, much more difficult to kill than a gazelle or a zebra.
When the struggle was over, Daire dragged his prize back towards where Clermeilli-Pie was resting. As he got a better look at it, it was definitely some kind of warthog... though none he's ever seen before. Daire glanced at Clermeilli-Pie with a bloody grin. "I've never eaten one of these before. I don't know what it is..." He nosed the fat beast towards the lioness, encouraging her to eat.
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Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 2:26 pm
Clermeilli-Pie rose and went to the pig. At this point, food was food, so she gave little thought to what exactly it was, Daire had brought. She ate eagerly and licked her chops when she was finished. She had eaten probably about half the thing, a mark that she really could benefit from having this male to help her hunt.
She cleans the blood from her muzzle and looks for any splatters elsewhere. "Are you sure you wish to stay, Daire?" If he did, she would have to explain the situation with Roth to him. And her friends that were likely still traveling close by.
Clermeilli-Pie hoped the answer was yes, yet she thought this a bit silly of herself. What if he got in a fight with Roth? Or picked one with her friends? She could not see the second happening, but the first, certainly.
{{you can end on your next post if you like}}
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Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 3:28 pm
Daire warmed with pride as he watched the pregnant lioness eat his odd prey beast. After a moment, he returned his attention to the forest, sensitive ears pinning on every movement. Fortunately it was a peaceful day, nothing seemed to be lurking or threatening the two lions. As he came to this conclusion Daire slowly lowered himself onto the leaves and foliage that created a soft and comfortable bed-like structure. This was much more suitable for infants than prickly Savannah grass and stones...
Daire turned to Clermeilli-Pie with an inquisitive smirk as she directed a question at him. "I'm sure, Clermeilli-Pie. I just can't leave knowing you're alone and you'll have cubs soon. I just can't." He glanced at her protruding belly, a fond smile overcoming his face. He was determined to protect those young ones and their mother until they were independent enough to do without him.
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