|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:04 pm
It hadn’t been long since Rei had been pointed in the direction of the Pridelands… at least that’s where the bright orange lion hoped he has heading to. It was hard to be sure if the creature whose cooperation he had “requested” had provided him with the correct destination or simply just the first thing that had come to the creature’s mind. Complete honesty wasn’t to be expected when one’s life is at risk, after all.
Despite his doubts, Rei did notice he was getting closer to a densely-populated area though he didn’t think he was reaching the Pridelands just yet. The unmistakable scents of a lion pride grew stronger with every step the orange lion took. Unsure of what to expect – the creature could’ve easily had sent him to a dangerous place to be killed on sight – Rei moved forward at a steady pace, caution in his purple eyes as he eyed his surroundings.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:23 pm
Well. This was disappointing. One minute, she had been carefully secluded and attempting, for the nth time, to move that little pebble of hers, and the next, her concentration had been interrupted by the sudden scent of an unfamiliar lion.
Mzuza sighed and shook her head, slipping the rock-turned-necklace back over her head. There had been a reason she had escaped to the very edge of the pridelands--to shelter herself from the hustle and bustle of pridal life while she got in some good practice time. She hadn't taken into consideration the fact that rogues existed outside the pride and now, of course, one must have wandered up to distract her.
Blasted rogues.
Still, she didn't suppose she could complain. A little company would have made a nice day almost perfect, and who knew. Maybe today would be the day she managed to perform her levitation trick before a witness. A real witness, at that. The thought perked her up immediately, and she unhid herself from the surrounding tall grasses to search the area for the strange lion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:48 pm
Rei caught the sudden movement out of the corner of his eye and froze at once. It was lioness and she appeared to be alone. Obviously, he was smiling before he even noticed it.
The orange lion changed his trajectory and moved towards the female, slowly realizing that she wasn’t that much different from him in appearance. Apart from the markings around his eyes and at the tip of his nose, they were actually quite similar. Could he possibly have found the Pridelands already? Nah, that was impossible… right? He stopped a little further than a respectful distance from the female, hoping that he wouldn’t scare her away. Females could be quite jumpy after all and he’d often found many in the rogue lands that preferred to stay as far away from males as possible.
“Hello there, miss.” Rei called with what he hoped was a winning smile, turning on the charm. Hopefully she wouldn’t mistake him for some dodgy character. “Could you possibly tell me where I am…?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:42 am
Oh crap. He was nearer than she had expected, and as he turned to make his way toward what was unmistakeably her, she realized with a pang that she was not very clean. Which wouldn't have much mattered, except that she was supposed to be a lady, and ladies were supposed to be ladylike and, well, clean, so this certainly wouldn't do.
A frown briefly crossed her face as she thought fast and, with a quick lick of her paw, smoothed the fur on her face. That ought to be enough to give off the impression of cleanliness. And just in time, because the next second, the lion was close enough and had spoken.
The fact that Mzuza's first reaction had been to clean herself rather than to put up a guard must have attested to the comfortable life she had always lived amongst friends and family in the Pridelands. Danger lurked outside, she knew that, but it always seemed a bit of a stretch to think that it lurked this close to home. But then, who would really dare lead an attack against a pride as powerful and deeply established as hers, and alone at that?
"Why, you're in the Pridelands," she said with a smile and a look of slight surprise - with widened eyes and everything. He must have been a rogue not to know, not that she had had that many doubts to begin with. Mzuza prided herself on being able to recognize most of the lions in the pride by face (in any case, she imagined it would have been hard not to, having grown up around them and spent her entire life here), and she certainly didn't recognize this one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:34 am
“Really?” Rei asked before he could stop himself. He had been prepared for a long and treacherous journey, a life-threatening adventure that would finally lead him to the lands of his ancestors. This was… well, a bit anti-climatic. He had never expected to find the pride so quickly, it was just too soon.
“Oh, I apologize. My name’s Rei and I was actually looking for the Pridelands.” He found it somewhat amusing that she’d seemed more worried about her appearance than her safety – that was such an adorable girl thing to do! – but then again, from what the orange lion had heard, his was a pretty big pride and strong guards keep the borders safe. Perhaps he was the one who should be concerned for his safety. “I didn't expect to find this place so quickly, miss…”
He dropped his head a little, tilting it to the side as he smiled encouragingly, hoping the pretty girl would give him her name in return.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:40 am
"Mzuza," she offered, finishing his sentence with an equally encouraging smile. Friendliness was to be rewarded in kind, she thought, and any repercussions of that could be dealt with later. If there were any, that was. Mzuza didn't fancy herself to be a particularly keen reader of creatures, but she certainly thought Rei harmless enough. Although harmlessness was still subjective, so she supposed that it would still be a good idea to remain at least somewhat alert. For all she knew, that charming smile could have been the front for a full out attack. But she doubted it.
"I take it it's your first time here, then," she added. Mzuza herself had never wandered beyond the Pridelands' farthest borders, but she didn't expect there were many places outside that looked quite like her home. She was biased, of course, but there had to be some degree of truth in her assumption.
"Why were you looking for us?" Although the answer to that seemed fairly obvious, judging by the color of his pelt. She didn't doubt that there were lions that looked like herself elsewhere, but the chances that one of them had ended up here seemed to indicate that he had some sort of relation to her pride. Maybe he was descended from some Pridelanders of days gone by. That wouldn't have surprised her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:57 pm
“A pleasure, Mzuza.” The orange lion said, bowing his head just a little bit. He wished he could be closer to her but didn’t feel it was polite to move again so soon after they’d introduced themselves. Not that Mzuza seemed worried about him.“Ah, yes. First time. Didn’t actually expect to find it so quickly though.”
It truly had been a surprise though not necessarily a bad one. He tilted his head at her question though as he’d figured the answer to be obvious enough unless he was missing some vital piece of information. It would be amusing if all the Pridelanders were suddenly very different in colors and markings while a rogue like himself was closer to the original pride members. But no, surely not. Mzuza closely resembled himself and some of his siblings, after all.
“I have some root here. On my mother’s side. She used to tell us stories about the pride… the kings of the past watching from the stars above, stories of the great king Mufasa... Me and my siblings really loved those stories.” He smiled more gently now, reminiscing on the stories of his cubhood. Ah, good days. “She wasn’t born here either, though she came to visit once.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:15 pm
She noticed the head tilt, and smiled. The number of lions that looked much like herself, like the - she hesitated to say purest, but perhaps the original - line of Pridelanders was dwindling. She didn't hold any sort of animosity toward the more diversely colored lions, but it was a nice change to see a nice, plain lion not directly related to herself.
"The great king?" She echoed, smiling again. "Mufasa was my grandfather." Though she herself had never met the king of legend, and he had long gone up to the heavens, to watch them from above as Rei had said. It was a shame, to be sure, and she would have liked to meet her mother's father. But she supposed there was a reason things were the way they were.
"And are you like your mother, then? Just here for a visit?" Perhaps he was planning to stay. Though neither one should have affected her too much, she imagined. "You'll like it here, though." She added. There weren't many creatures that didn't. The Pridelands was like a little bit of paradise, a safe retreat from the rest of the world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:29 pm
“Your grandfather? Really?!” Rei looked like an excited cub now, with a smile that almost touched both his eyes. He stood up suddenly and quickly shortened the distance between the two without even thinking. “Did you know him well? Are the stories all true?” A noble, magnificent King. Stories of his greatness reaching far and wide even after his departure. Rei looked up, cursing the light of day that kept him from seeing the stars and when his eyes returned to Mzuza he was momentarily taken aback by her deep red eyes. One could get lost in those, one could… he had a little trouble holding her gaze this time and looked far into the lush Pridelands with a small smile.
“Ah… I was coming for a visit. I’m a rogue at heart, I think. But.” Visibly subdued, Rei sighed. There was a long pause as he watched a colorful bird flying above them “It is beautiful here.” And despite his efforts, he couldn’t help but to look back into Mzuza’s eyes as he said the last few words. Perhaps settling down wouldn’t be so bad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 8:47 am
His excitement was heartwarming, and Mzuza wished she had better news to give him. Some real stories. But alas. "I didn't, unfortunately. He died before I was born, but the stories, they're true. Most of them, anyway, and even the ones that aren't have some hint of truth." Her grandfather was a great lion, and nothing anyone could ever say would change that. And she was glad that nobody was trying.
The fact that Rei, a lion that had never before been to the Pridelands, knew about her grandfather filled her with warmth. There was a sort of wonder there, in the spreading of stories, the anecdotes carried across the vast lands by nothing other than the spoken word. And yet, somehow, those stories had made their way back here, and in a roundabout way, it had all come full circle.
Her eyes followed his up toward the heavens. "If you stay a little bit longer, you'll get to see all the wonders in this place." And there were plenty of those, to be sure. The stars were not the least of them, though she would be the first to admit that they certainly held a bit more charm, thanks to the legends of old kings watching from above. She didn't doubt that there was truth in that, either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 6:45 pm
“A shame… if half of what I heard is true, he must’ve really been extraordinary.” His eyes lingered on her crimson gaze for a little longer. It was the second lioness he’d met with this red eye color, such depth and power in them. The orange lion had trouble looking away but he forced his head down all the same.
“Maybe I will.” Rei said quietly, finding the idea rather tempting. He tilted his head just a little when he noticed the little pebble in Mzuza’s pendant. “How does your pride... mmm, take to visitors?”
He supposed he could stay… for a bit. Find his roots and all that. Maybe locate some distant relative and learn about all his ancestors. Part of him wished that he could also be related to the great King as it would be a true honor to be able to count himself amongst his descendants. And yet, strangely enough, as he looked at the lioness in front of him, Rei suddenly hoped that there was no blood connection whatsoever between them - even if he wasn’t really exactly sure what that meant just yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:17 am
She felt as though she should resist the pull of the tension of the moment. That strange electric sparkle that came from somewhere she could not fathom and that promised to draw her into something altogether new and enlightening. A smarter, more level-headed lioness might have. But Mzuza claimed to be neither, and the moment seemed to be nothing if not innocent enough, so she let follow wherever the current might take her. It might be nothing, after all, and for someone who so adamantly believed in magic, she didn't suppose she was one to deny it the chance to show itself.
Her eyes met his and held his gaze for as long as the moment let her, matching his violet eyes with her own. There was a sort of comfort in that exchange, a sort of shelter from an already-sheltered world. Calm beyond calm.
Then the moment was broken, and she shifted her attention to... nothing in particular. Her gaze was lost, for a second, until he spoke, and the sound grounded her again. "Consider it," she replied, just as softly as if there was something hanging about them that needed preservation, that might disappear if she spoke to loudly or shifted too suddenly. "We welcome visitors. Especially ones seeking to reconnect to our pride."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 3:15 pm
It seemed... promising. No strings attached, just come and take a look. And it was what he’d come here for – even if Rei hadn’t expected to find the pride as quickly as he did. The rogue in him was afraid he’d find the place a little too appealing but he couldn’t live with the idea that he’d come all this way just to take a whiff of the borders and leave. Who knew, there really might be a place for him in this pride.
“I think… I’ll take a den around here and explore a bit. With your king’s permission, of course.” He said cautiously, not keen on the idea of joining the pride completely even if it was supposed to be a temporary thing. He flashed a playful grin at the lioness, bowing his head just a little. “Would you do me the honor of being my guide, dear lady?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:01 pm
"That won't be hard," she assured him. There was no reason to suspect Rei of anything, and Mzuza imagined that her brother would have enough faith in her judgment to grant him permission to stay a little while and understand more of the home of his ancestors.
And maybe it might even change the way he saw things, though that was up to Rei to decide, and something that Mzuza would have no control over. Nor did she wish to have any. It was his life, after all, and she had only just met him.
She tilted her head at the bow, and responded in kind with a small laugh. "I would be happy to, kind sir." She said, rising to her feet and giving him a small nudge in the right direction. "First stop, Pride Rock."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 12:53 pm
“Pride Rock…” Rei said almost dreamingly. It was the stuff of legends, at least for him. It was hard to believe he was actually going to see the place where so many of his mother’s stories took place. His skin shivered under the light touch of Mzuza and the orange lion shuddered almost imperceptibly when the little tingle of excitement reached his spine.
“After you.” Rei said quietly as he followed next to the lioness, feeling more than a little amused by the exchange of pleasantries. He raised his head and inhaled deeply, eyes narrowing as the soft breeze ruffled his mane. He’d found them. The Pridelands. And perhaps something more…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
