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 Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:19 am
 Nahasi had heard that there was a new member to the pride. Despite how busy he was today he thought that maybe he would go out of his way to meet the new member. It wouldn't hurt to avoid his current task. In fact it might be nice to have a break for once. He could take the rest of the evening off and perhaps show the new guy around. It was often he took the time to spend with new members, and for that he felt guilty. They deserved as much as his time as any of the council members did.
He made his way from his den to the guest den's where the new member would be resting. Before his guard asked where he was going Nahasi said. "No need to follow me today. I'll be fine," and the rebellious leader continued on his way.
As he made his way through he greeted as many of the members as he could. It had been far too long since he mingled with his subjects. He would have to make it a priority once Juan, his personal guard, healed to go out and spend some extra time with the members of his pride. Perhaps they can have a small celebration.
At last he made it to the guest dens.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:34 am
Taabu had no complaints. This seemed like the perfect place for him.
Little rest had come to him. He was too excited to go out and explore more, meet more of the Brotherhood to rest. Instead he found himself laying down on the ground waiting. His tail would twitch every now and then and if he heard any noises his ears would perk and occasionally his head would rise from resting on his paws.
Then he looked up one more time and saw a lion had arrived at his den. Golden rod eyes took in the males appearence, analyzing the other before speaking. "Hey there." He said, unsure of who exactly this visitor was. "I'm Taabu-Chafu. Are you here to show me around?" He asked in a soft tone, hoping to not offend the other male.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:37 pm
Nahasi grinned. "That I am." He walked closer to the hybrid. He hadn't yet to meet a hybrid before. This was one of the reasons he loved Mazu so much. There was so much diversity in its land. All species were accepted and none were turn away. Even females were welcomed under certain situations. Hopefully the hybrid would find himself welcomed here and make it his home. If not he would always be welcomed if he chose to leave.
"My name is Nahasi. I am the current rules of the pride. It is nice of you to join us," he gave him a smile. "Feel free to ask me any questions. Also I'm sorry if I get us lost. Even I have a hard time navigating these lands. Normally I have my guard Juan guide me, but he was hurt in an accident." he spoke a bit quietly when he mentioned Juan. He was still feeling guilty about the whole situation.
"What do you think of Mazu so far?" he asked curiously glancing at the hybrid as he started to walk back into the tunnels. He would take him first to the underground lake. That was the pride of the lands. Most visitors would stare at it with awe. Even Nahasi noticed the pure beautify of it and he had seen it hundreds of times.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:55 pm
Taabu rose to his feet and perked his ears towards the male. The hybrid was pleased to see he wasn't regarded with any animosity and it seemed the ruler of this Brotherhood was almost curious about the way he eyed the half cheetah half lion.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Nahasi. I was not expecting the ruler himself to come and show me around, but I am glad I get the opportunity to meet you." Taabu chuckled softly as the lion apologized ahead of time, in the event they got lost, but upon hearing his normal guide / guard was injured he grew silent and simply nodded, not wishing to inquire more about it out of turn, simply replying with, "I hope he grows healthy soon."
As they began walking through the tunnels, headed off to explore Taabu stayed a pace behind the ruler, listening and observing. From time to time he would glance about, eying other males they passed and just looking at the caverns themselves. "I enjoy it so far. This place is beautiful, far more so than the desert I was raised in. When I heard of this group I was eager to see it and learn about you all."
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:53 pm
Nahasi laughed. A guard probably would have been a better suit to show around a the hybrid, but what would be a better way to show around the pride than having the king himself do it. His father probably would have done the same thing if it was him. "I had some free time and I heard that you had come into the pride. Do you mind if I ask your name." He didn't want to be rude, but he also didn't want to accidentally call him hybrid. Nahasi had a terrible habit of speaking without thinking.
"The desert. I haven't seen it myself so I am not one to judge," he said with a laugh. "I've been told stories from rogues about deserts. I think I would prefer Mazu to the desert any day. Though the sun does sound nice." That was one thing he would love to see. "I was wondering what is the best part of the outside world? I always ask outsiders because I myself have never been outside Mazu."
He was always scared that if he saw the outside world he wouldn't want to leave. He settled for stories about the outside world instead. It filled his curiosity enough so he didn't want to venture out there himself. "Aw and here are the catchers dens. They are the ones who catch us our fireflies." He explained as they passed a row of dens.
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Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:21 am
The cheeton nodded as he followed the King. "I'm Taabu Chafu. But just Taabu is fine." He offered a polite smile, somewhat relieved he hadn't been called hybrid by this lion yet. He wasn't use to this sort of politeness. Only his mother an siblings had ever been nice to him. Now this group, with their likable king was showing him real kindness. They were offering him a place to call home without judgment, and the king himself was showing the hybrid around. Taabu was glad to be with the Mazu.
Thinking back on his time in the Tuait lands he lowered his gaze to the floor. "The only thing of worth in the desert was the temple. It was this big stone thing the humans had made long ago. We were never allowed in it though, Vultures had taken it over." He explained while his thoughts jumped to the months he had been exploring the Roguelands. "For me personally, the most wonderful thing I'd seen on the outside was this huge pool of water. We'd never had anything like it in the desert. Maybe a tiny oasis or two, but nothing like that pool."
To the hybrid, this place was far better than anything outside. The walls almost glittered in certain light, the males all existed with one another happily, and it was away from the desert and it's hot sun. "As for the sun... while I grew up I hated it. During the day it would be high in the school and the heat would feel like I was melting, or burning. But then when it was gone at night, it was colder than it had been hot...
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Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 2:57 pm
"It's a pleasure to meet you Taabu." he said with a nod of his head. "The lake that I'm going to show you is probably my favorite part of the pride. It's where I go to relax. It's one of the most peaceful places in the pride." he explained with a grin. As a cub he sued to come down and go diving into the lake, often getting himself in trouble.
"We have a couple temples down here that the priest pray at. If we have time I'll show you them. They are probably not as beautiful as the ones you've seen, but at least there aren't any vultures hiding in them," he said with a laugh. The temples were all created by the brotherhood. They were carefully created. The priest would do their business there. Nahasi did his best to avoid it. When he was a cub he had gotten in trouble for playing in the temples.
"The sun doesn't make it that far down here and it doesn't get too cold and night. It seems Mazu is the perfect place for you." He gave Taabu a grin. "I hope you grow to love it here. Anything I can do to make your stay better please tell me. You can have one of the guards fetch me at any time. If I don't come right away it is because I'm a little tied up, but I promise I'll come as soon as I can."
He turned with the tunnel and reached the lake. The water glistened as fireflies flew over it, casting reflection's into the water. Here is was much cooler than the rest of the pride. "Here is our lovely lake. This is where we swim and drink. It is the heart of Mazu."
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Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:13 pm
As they entered the cavern with the underwater lake Taabu gazed in awe at it. It was even more beautiful than the pond he had come across in the roguelands. Tentatively he made his way to the bank of the water and lowered his head and gaze at his reflection. He grinned as he watched the fireflies buss by and reflect their orange glow across the water. He remained quiet for a while as he took int he beauty.
"I can see why this is the heart of your Pride. This is beautiful..." He murmured softly before turning back to look at Nahasi, giving him a grin. "And so far, I enjoy it here. I finally feel welcome, accepted and most importantly, I feel like I have found my home." He explained before turning his gaze back out across the water.
There was nothing like this anywhere else. Taabu was accepted without restriction, his dislike of female company was mirrored by many of the males that ran the pride... and no matter how different Taabu was, if the King was so accepting, it meant the rest of the brotherhood would likely be as welcoming.
"The only thing I ever wanted was to fit in and be welcomed. You've done that for me, so I could not ask for more. Thank you." He said finally turning from the water and looking to Nahasi, wondering what was next.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:19 am
Nahasi grinned innocently. The way Taabu spoke made Mazu seem like paradise. He had to admit he would never want to leave the pride, he wasn't like his father who decided to run away with some female the moment he had the chance. No, this was his home and he was glad to be able to share it with Taabu, someone who understood what Mazu was.
"You're welcome." he said giving Taabu a smile. "Now why don't I show you the temple and than I will show you where you will be sleeping. You'll be moved to where the guards rest for now until you have decided on what position you want to have in the pride. All ranks are equal, though a couple of them hold higher respect than others." he said as he walked through the tunnels.
"I am one of the ones who believe all the ranks should be equally respected, because really without each rank our lives down here would be rather troublesome," he said. He couldn't imagine a day without a guard or catcher a like. Even the mysterious missionaries who brought in rogue males were highly important to the pride. "My rank is just as important as that of a healer, or I think so anyways. There are some in the pride who hold their duties above others. It's such a shame really, to think one self higher than your fellow brothers."
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:42 am
The hybrid returned Nahasi's smile. To Taabu, this place was paradise. Anywhere else the male had traveled, he was treated with disrespect, or scorn. Only here with these other males did he feel welcome. Taabu would likely never leave this place unless he had to, this maze was so lovely and the lake? It was a sight he would never wish to be without.
As the other mentioned showing him the temple the Cheeton nodded, "Of course, I'd love to see the temple... Also, could you tell me about some of the ranks?" He wondered what he would like to do. The only ones he'd seen so far were ambassadors, guards and then the King himself. Being a Guard didn't really seem to appeal to the sleek male, nor did leaving the lands as an ambassador.
Besides wondering where he would be placed for his duties, he was curious to see his permanent den. "Also, males are welcome to take other males as life mates, correct?" He asked, his mind wandering randomly, a sudden thought crossing his mind. "Once you take one, do you then share your den with them?" He wondered how that would work, if he ever met someone he wanted to be with forever, would he move in with the other, or vice versa?
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:04 am
"There are a lot of ranks. There is king of course and the nobels. The nobels are usually blood related to the king." he explained doing his best to remember all the ranks. As a cub he was often quizzed on the ranks, to make sure he was ready to be the next heir. "Than there is consort and the council men. Each council member is in charge of a rank, such as the council member of the catchers. Than there are guards, hunters, medics, whose jobs are self explanatory."
He gave a laugh, realizing how many jobs there were in Mazu. "And last there are cavers or diggers who dig out the tunnels, giving us more room as we expand. Catchers who catch fireflies outside the pride and bring them back in to light up our dark tunnels. Scouts who find females who are willing to come back to the pride and help us have cubs of our own. Missionaries who find males who want to join and bring them into the pride and finally there are the brotherhood mothers who are females within the pride." He took a breath before continuing.
"It's a lot of information on your first day, but it is important to know. You'll be able to do what ever rank you want fine, I'm sure. You can always change ranks if you find yourself in one that you don't want to be in." He said with a nod of his head as they reached the temple. The temples were dug into the walls. There were carefully designed markings on the temple walls. Priest were inside praying for the safety of the pride. "And here is the temple." he whispered.
"Males usually take other males as mates," he nodded his head as he whispered. "It uncommon for a male to mate with a female. My own father was one who did. Usually a male and female do not get to share the same den, but my father as king set aside that rule durring his rule. But yes two mated males can share the same den. It's the best way to be close to the one you love." His ears became warm as he said this. His thought lingered to his royal guard.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:31 am
As they approached the temple, Taabu's eyes lifted upward. For a while he just listened to the King as he explained the ranks. As he listened, he also eyed the temple, taking in every intricately carved detail on the face of the stone temple. Golden eyes peered as a Priest or two shuffled in and out after prayer, then he turned to gaze at the king, catching the slightly changed expression as he finished speaking.
He didn't say anything about other males for a moment, instead inquiring about a rank, "So Catcher? I think I'd be good at that. I'm not quite as fast as a cheetah, but I am close. Guess being a hybrid gives me a few benefits over Lions and Cheetahs individually." He mused. He was stronger than other Cheetah, but not as fast, while he was faster than other Lion, yet not as powerful.
"Do you have someone?" He asked with a smile, not so much flirting, but just being curious. The King seemed like a good Lion to Taabu, and he hoped perhaps, despite the males title and responsibilities, they could be friends.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:00 pm
"Do I have someone?" he repeated with uncertainty. No he didn't, he wanted someone though. "I don't right now," he felt his ears go warm as he talked. "But I have my friends that I care about more than anything. Especially Juan. Juan is very special to me." He wasn't really sure what to call Juan anymore. He knew they were friends, but since his injury, since Juan saved his life he had felt a special bond grow between them. There wasn't a moment that went by that he didn't think about Juan.
"Maybe some day I'll find the right guy for me," he said with a shy laugh. He was always embarrassed when it came to these sort of things. He had no idea how to express what he felt, he never could. It was difficult for him to tell the difference between love and friendship especially when Juan was involved. He would have to think it over at some point.
"What about you? Have you ever been interested in anyone outside Mazu? I'm sure it won't be long till you find a mate inside Mazu. There are plenty bachelors around." He said with a laugh. "To bad we don't have a match maker in the pride. That would be helpful! Now we better get headed back. I have some other duties I need to take care of." He thought about the tunnels that he needed to approve to be dug out. He could only procrastinate so long before he felt guilty.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 1:43 pm
Taabu grinned knowingly, eyeing the King as he seemed to grow a little flustered. "Sounds like you have someone you want." But he didn't press after that and simply turned away from the temple and gazed down the tunnels they were going to be leaving through. The cheeton found it sort of endearing how the King seemed to dwell on thoughts of Juan, his guard. He only hoped that he could find someone to grow flustered about like that some day.
When the question came around to him he seemed to stiffen a moment then huff slightly. "There were one or two girls in the rogue lands I cared for.. but... seeing as I cannot sire any cubs, both left with the wind, haven't seen either since... and I haven't met many males, but I'm hoping to find an agreeable one some day." The words almost dribbled out of him uncontrollably, but he didn't care, he had no secrets here. Yes, at one time he was interested in females, but that had changed a while ago. He felt they were only useful for having cubs and since he could not do so, he had no use for them.
"Yeah, I don't mean to take up so much of your time, you can just show me back to my den and then go do the duties you need to." He said with a smile, his mood lifting again. He had to chuckle softly to himself as he thought about a match maker. It would be interesting in the least he thought, but he wasn't sure how well someone else could pair two people up unless they really got to know both, which meant getting to know everyone.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 7:41 pm
Nahasi laughed. He didn't know what he wanted or who he wanted just yet. "I'm still confused with the whole relationship thing. There is someone I do care about, but I don't know if what I'm feeling is really love or if it is something else." he explained as started to walk Tabbu back to the dens.
He listened sadly to Tabbu talk about his meeting with the females. "I'm not that found of females myself, though there is one that is rather entertaining who is staying here with us. Most of my experience with females have been rough," his thoughts dwelled on his mother who he would never care for and tainted his opinion on all females. "I wish you better luck here than out there. The males in the pride will take kindly to you I am sure. You will find the right male for you in here somewhere."
"I don't mind you taking up my time." he said with a smile. He really enjoyed his time away from his duties and preferred it to his boring tasks. As they approached the dens he felt himself already missing his new friend. He would have to be sure to come visit him again before it was too long. "Thank you for letting me show you around Taabu."
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