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 Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:13 am
 Tough draw.
The world offers no slack to anyone, not even those who have aligned themselves to save it. It might even seem like the world was tilted against those kinds of creatures. Perhaps it is more likely that there are so few of them and many more of those who wish to hurt the world... and possibly hurt those that don't think like them.
"Yes. That seems more likely than the world turning against us. It would be completely illogical otherwise..." His voice was soft as he mused upon his thoughts out loud, not exactly caring if anyone heard him.
Seiki tended to talk to his finished products, especially after just completing a piece. A true work for art it was! He had been able to recycle all of the hares bones save the larger ones, which he could use for some sort of jewelry or accessory later.
He mused on what he could do to make it better though. It was a shapely pot, with many fine designs encrusted into the frame, however it was lacking in color. Too plain, too boring, just too brown! If he could find colorful flowers to add to the pot surely it would brighten it up, but as it was now... Eh, it is nice but not enough...
As he continued to stare at his work his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a low, angry rumbling of his stomach. Why his body had to be so demanding he had no idea, but after rolling his eyes he did get up. It would do no good to continue to ignore the protests of his hungry belly, and he had used most of the rabbit he had last caught. Hell, maybe he would be lucky enough to happen upon a already dead animal. Then he would feel no shame in eating his earth sibling.
"I could also find some flowers for this new pot of mine. Then it isn't just me hunting... but me finding something and possibly getting something to eat. Yes, surely that will be alright."
Eager to start his journey before he changed his mind, Seiki made his way away from his little dust den, turning around only briefly to make sure everything was accounted for. Perhaps he should cover the area better, plant a couple bushes, but for now... it was fine. How would a traveler find him if he hid his little shop anyway?
"They wouldn't..." Chuckling at what he thought was witty he continued onward, mind set on finding some beautiful flowers... and something to eat of course.
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:21 pm
 Kimia moaned as she turned in a circle for what felt like the hundredth time, frightened. How had she managed to wander this far from her pridelands? She'd never had a great sense of direction, nor was she very intelligent... but to get herself this lost felt a little ridiculous. If she could just run into another lion... or someone from her pride! Oh that would be magnificent! Well, really that depended on who she ran into. "Oh not Uumi, not Uumi, not Uumi.." She started mumbling to herself, walking first left and then right and finally she plopped herself down in a sitting position.
She'd tried several different directions to try and jar her memory, but none of them seemed to be leading back to the Kusini'Mwezi in the least. "Ah... but why would any of they be out here?" She squeaked, feeling even more panicked as she sprung to all four paws again. She began to pace back and forth yet again, that was until her stomach gave a herendous grumble. She paused and looked around almost sheepishly, but no one was in sight whom could have heard. She suddenly chuckled, finding herself amused and a little more calm once she felt she was being a tad rediculous.
"It's fine." She told herself. "Lost is just an adventure in an area you haven't explored!" Yes, that was perfect. As for food... well she wasn't sure what to do about that. "Turtle... turtle..." She kept mumbling the word fondly as she moved through the grasses of the area, wondering if any turtles lived in this area.
What she found, however, was not a turtle. Instead her gaze fell upon the most magnificent, mezmorizing swirl of blue she'd ever seen; it was like it had suddenly become night. Her gaze jerked up to the sky instantly at the thought, and she gave a sigh of relief. It was still day. As her eyes traveled back to the swirly, glowy blues she realized she was looking upon a pelt... upon a lion even! "Oh!" She exclaimed, taking a step back with wide eyes. He was still pretty far off from her, really she shouldn't have been surprised or worried. But what a sight to behold... the Kusini lands were filled with browns and charcoals, coffees and bright reds and pinks. Her own boys' blues had been considered to stand out... so this male's pelt was a shock. "Er... Hi! Hello, hi there!" She called over and began to move forward again, trying to gain his attention. Maybe he knew the area?
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 7:35 pm
Pushing his body forward, passed a large clump of long marshy grasses, Seiki came to a small opening. The grass was still high, but not high enough to hide him like they had before. Perhaps he would fish today? The flowers the rimmed the waterbeds were always beautiful, and the fish always tasty when he caught them. He most certainly would be killing two birds with one stone. Nodding once he had made up his mind and started toward one of the slightly stinky pools of water, oblivious of the world around him.
"Maybe I will catch a slimy catfish today. They are always great to chew and the barbs work well for my crafting..." Looking down over top of the pool, a dark purple paw plunged into the depths of the murky brown waters, attempting to gauge just how deep the waters were.
Continuing his work, Seiki pushed his paw further into the waters, leaning most of his body in to see if he could feel anything that seemed edible or fish like. And that was when he heard the shouting. Startled at the sudden noise coming from the lioness in the distant, Seiki instantly jumped away, launching his body into the stagnant, murky waters of the swamps below him.
It was all so quick, first he was dry save his foreleg, and now, he was completely soaked, dressed in a heavy algae, pumping his legs quickly to keep his body afloat. Shaking his head quickly to remove the access mane from his face, the lion looked over in the direction of the noise, calling out as he did so. "Ah.. Ha-ha, Hello there! Umm, hungry?" His bright blue eyes watching as a powder blue lioness quickly approached, unable to keep the stupid grin off his face from embarrassment.
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 8:48 pm
The moment she spied his body tensing up and then suddenly springing upward she froze, her pink eyes wide with shock. She had not meant to surprise him like that... but she realized she probably shouldn't have been shouting like that while his back was turned from her. She rushed forward once the initial shock was over, though her steps slowed and she became hesitant as she neared the edge of the water. Just as she was about to ask if the male was okay he called out, asking if she was hungry.
She was quite taken aback by the question, but not unpleased. In fact, she always enjoyed running into kind hearted lions. Most lions were good... she believed those that showed a poor attitude towards others were simply waiting on the chance to be good towards another. Kimia always wanted to give a stranger that chance, whether she was greeted wonderfully or poorly or even somewhere in between. This lion not only seemed friendly but he was also asking if she was hungry, which implied he was going to let her join him in a meal! On top of it all, he wasn't even angry that she'd accidentally spooked him into the water!
She beamed, practically overflowing with the joy she felt at coming upon such a friendly, welcoming stranger. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to surprised you like that! But yes, I am hungry! In fact I was just thinking about searching for some turtles, they're my favorite!" She edged closer to the water and dipped a paw in. "Oh! Not even cold!" She called, laughing slightly. "Do you think there are turtles in here? Oh right.. My name is Kimia, I was wondering if you knew this area at all?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:50 pm
As she beamed at him Seiki couldn't help but feel less like an idiot, and more happy that she had scared him. It seemed that him just being there had caused her sheer bliss, something he rarely got to see on another lion. It was absolutely magical to him and he thanked the workings of fate for allowing such a chance encounter. Watching her for a little longer, Seiki took in each and every feature the lioness offered, her powder blue pelt, her soft pink eyes. She was plain, but beautiful because of it.
Perhaps this is why he thought his latest creation was lacking. It was overly ornate. He would have to create another piece of pottery after this lioness. Maybe he could even give it to her for inspiring him? Drifting further into his thoughts Seiki more than likely looked sort of stupid, being so unresponsive to the lioness.
It was after hearing the word turtle that the lion came back to the present and cracked a big, bright smile. "You are beautiful and I thank you." Looking at her feet for a second he gathered his thoughts. Were there turtles in this water? Come to think of it... yes there were, and a turtles shell would be perfect for a design as well!
"You! I love you, you keep giving me such great ideas! For you I shall find many turtles to share for dinner." Yes, it more than likely did come off as strange, but he didn't really care. He was being inspired, and that was what kept him happiest.
"Join in, I am sure you will find the water enjoyable." His ears perked at her question, it had been similar to his own, but it was quickly forgotten when she spoke her name. "Kimia.. lovely name. I am Seiki." Looking about himself he noticed the algae. "One moment dear." Dunking his head into the water quickly, Seiki resurfaced, shaking the algae and water from his mane.
"There we are. No more green spots."
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:22 am
It was nice how calming it was to have someone else for company, instead of being by herself. She realized she didn't mind not knowing where she was nearly as much as she had a few moments ago. Her eyes widened at his compliment, feeling herself start to giggle before she could help it. It wasn't often she was called pretty... in fact, it'd been a very long time. She shook her head to ward off the thoughts of Adamu, they would only make her become sad. Still, hadn't she left the kusini lands to look for him in the first place? "You're the beautiful one of course!" She blurted out after a moment, and then laughed again. "What I mean to say is... you're coat is very lovely. It's as beautiful as the night sky, with all of the stars glittering up above. That's what it reminds me of!" She felt slightly embarrassed, but also happy she got to compliment his coat as well.
Her eyes widened even more as he said he loved her and she took a step back, sitting as her head tilted to the side. He... he loved her? Oh! No, surely that wasn't what he'd meant. He loved her for her ideas... it was a little different, wasn't it? She breathed a sigh of relief, purring slightly. His compliments felt especially nice after going so long avoiding being social in her pride. The last time she'd felt so good about herself had been... well, when Adamu had been around. This lion was obviously just very kind and happy, especially good company. She nodded at his invitation, standing again but pausing as she was given his name. "Seiki." She repeated, smiling. "That rolls off the tongue wonderfully!" She watched as he cleared away the algae and without hesitation bounding forward and jumped in with a small shout of excited joy.
She surfaced just as he spoke of the green spots being gone, then laughed. "Thank you, you're very kind!" She swam in a small circle, relishing the cool water. It was especially cool in comparison to the warm, stuffy air. She decided she'd ask about the area again later, for now she was more invested in the thought of finding turtles. "Oh! So the turtles... I don't think I've ever actually gone swimming to catch one... is it easy?" She peered at the murky water, treading in place. She'd only eaten turtles who'd managed to make their way onto land for a while, always near the water in the kusini lands. In fact, it'd never actually crossed Kimia's mind to go swimming to hunt for them! She found this lion to be very clever!
Suddenly having a thought she met his gaze, lowering her voice considerably. "Should I be being quiet? On land I never have to be that quiet... most of the turtles from around my pride aren't very quick... but I've seen turtles swim, they're very fast. Can they hear us? Will I scare them if I'm loud? I'm sorry!" She didn't want to be scaring their dinner off, after all.
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 4:27 pm
Had he upset her with his comment? Cocking his head to the side to watch Kimia, Seiki wondered how he could fix the sudden awkwardness. However, those thoughts vanished as quickly as they came, for a giggle was heard and eased his mind. She was just being shy was all, and it was rather adorable to witness in another. He was about to comment on it even, and then she complimented him. His reaction was almost a mirror of Kimia's, however instead of giggling he kept his eyes looking down at the water, embarrassed and flabbergasted.
What should I say to this?! Knitting his brows together, Seiki waited for his mind to come up with something witty. Opening his mouth and looking at Kimia, he sort of just gaped at her, opening and closing his mouth like a fish might when it was out of water. Realizing nothing was coming out he looked down again. He was fine with compliments about his artwork, his home, and his personality, but this was foreign to him. However, the feelings he felt from being compliment in such a way were rather... enjoyable. If he could push passed the awkward feeling first. "Uhhhhh..." His mouth hung open for a couple seconds longer, then he closed it, face incredibly warm now for no real reason.
Pinning his ears against his head, Seiki decided to just blurt out his thoughts. Better to be honest, right? "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder then, because I find this pelt of mine pretty, but not at the level of perfection yours is at. The simple and elegant markings allow anyone to see your beauty not only in your markings, but in your sinew and bones." Stopping to catch his breath and let what he said sink into her head, he began again. "But... I thank you. No one has ever complimented me on my pelt like that."
Again he felt his face heat up, especially when she spoke his name, but he had decided to ignore it. Why dwell on something foreign and awkward instead of enjoy the company given to him? Smiling broadly he awaited the splash caused from the lioness, excited to hear her sheer joy at being able to jump into the water. This was amazing, even with the awkward moments he was enjoying himself here more than when he was alone creating his artwork. Perhaps this was how one enjoyed life when they were not good at crafting. Having company... it really did make a difference.
"We wouldn't want a lady getting all mucked up, would we now?" Chuckling at her sheer bliss he followed after her, enjoying the smooth swishing feeling of his fur while it was submerged. Then she questioned about how to hunt the turtles. Would it be easy catching the turtles in the water? Possibly, it really depended on how well you could track a turtle, but would he tell her that? No. He didn't want to worry her after all, and he had done it before so it wasn't like he was inexperienced.
"Should be fairly easy, we just have to follow them in the water. A lot of times they try to hide under leaves at the bottom. Follow me!" Getting ready to move passed her he noticed her suddenly stop, her pink gaze locked with his cerulean. Then she questioned her actions, and he couldn't help but laugh loudly. Her mannerisms were absolutely adorable, just like a cub or the baby birds he had taken care of! "Don't worry Kimia, they can't hear us underwater, and if I want to find one of my earth siblings, I will surely find them." Winking at her he started forward, deciding to go to his usual hunting ground for turtle. The mud castle.
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Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:15 pm
Kimia was not the best at body language, so when he continued to avoid looking at her after she complimented his coat she could only come to the conclusion that he'd not liked being called beautiful. Now that she'd thought about it a little longer she realized that maybe males didn't like that sort of thing? When he finally did look at her she was stunned even more. He looked... he looked... well he might look like what her reflection would have looked like moments ago! He was embarrassed! She could tell that emotion on other's faces! It was an easier one to pick out... or was that just some display of anger? She suddenly felt a little tense and ashamed, because if it was anger she would be the cause of it. She didn't want to make anyone made! Especially after just meeting them! Especially if they were so nice!
"Uhhhhh..." She wondered what she'd do if he started to tell her off... should she apologize right away? Or maybe she would have to flee from the place... some lions reacted with violence when it came to anger, or so she'd heard. What burst forth though was something quite a bit different from anger. In fact, he was turning her compliment back to her so strongly she wouldn't be surprised if her face had become as red as... as red as Uumikaji's fur! She was completely silent as she tried to think over his words, just staring doe-eyed at him. She cleared her throat, not quite sure what to say. She was very pleased at hearing those words... but was it selfish to be thanking the male for such a high opinion of her coat? And her thoughts seemed to hint that the compliment wasn't just about her coat, but she'd still not worked her way through it entirely. "They're... they're almost exactly like my mothers. But she once told me the colors are like my father's colors... I've never met him." Her voice had become breathy, and very shy. So what he meant was... beauty in her bones. Beauty in her bones, she knew she could work out what he meant, but she also knew she wasn't the smartest of lions in the kusini and it might just take her a bit longer... should she thank him even though she didn't fully understand?
"No, thank you!" She gasped when he thanked her, bowing her head slightly when she instantly made up her mind to thank him. He shouldn't be thanking her! His compliment was so much nicer than her own... in fact, she found his way of speaking to be really beautiful. But as awkward as everything had gotten she didn't think it was the time to bring it up, and suddenly she felt as if really large butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach.
She felt more at ease when his smile came back, and with the cool water lapping at her body. She even felt herself start to giggle when he called her a lady, his words tickled her! "No, I doubt a lady would like that sort of business..." And here she started to laugh more, but her intentions were not to laugh at the lion, just at the idea that he could even think her like a lady! Sure, some lions saw all females as something proper and to be treasured but... sometimes getting in mud was fun! She found herself swiping a paw through the water, sending a playful splash his way. "Don't you find that slimy, mucky stuff to be quite exciting though?" She was speaking of the algae, of course. "And mud especially! The way it dries so lovely to your fur... caked on and crackling in the sun! Sometimes it gets to be a bit itchy though, I don't like that!" She grinned, hoping she wasn't coming off as too weird. Her three boys had never really liked getting too dirty, and her mother had gone into fits of hysteria when she'd see Kimia caked in dirt even when she hit adolescence. Maybe especially once she'd hit adolescence! But Adamu had been very for the idea of exploring the woods and tumbling around, having mud fights... that sort of thing.
As he laughed she found herself beaming at him, it was as if his good mood was infectious. Yes, his positive energy was very easy to feel, and to offer back. "Oh, well good!" She squeaked, feeling just a tiny bit embarrassed at how worried she'd been. But she also wasn't aware that the turtles couldn't hear underwater... she wondered what else she'd be able to learn today, Seiki seemed to know a wonderful amount about nature! Earth siblings... Kimia grinned even more. Yes, he definitely spoke in a very pretty manner. She followed easily, swimming slightly further back than he but also positioning himself beside him. Not too close, she didn't want to get in the way of his hunting, but enough so she could properly watch and so he wouldn't have to turn around fully to speak to her. "Oh... is it deep?" She questioned after a moment, realizing that as she wiggled her toes she couldn't feel the bottom. "Are we going to dive under?" She seemed giddy about the idea, she wondered if it looked interesting under water! Before she even had an answer she found herself taking a deep breath and dunking under so she could open her eyes and look at the strange world that she knew very little about. It was... amazingly cool!
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:34 pm
Seeing her tense up from his lack of speech and eye contact, Seiki own eyes widened. This wasn't the reaction he was looking for. No, no no no, this wasn't right at all and it was bothering him that he just couldn't smoothly execute what his thoughts and feelings were. It was just so hard to do so when he had no grounding what so ever on how he was feeling right then. Perhaps Kimia would look passed this, though? She wouldn't be upset that he was so very awkward, painfully awkward, around other beings, right? Perking his ears at the clearing of her throat, Seiki's eyes stared straight into hers, a soft smile forming.
"Your mother must have been a beautiful lioness then." He however, did not comment on not having a father at first. He himself didn't know his true father, however, that didn't mean he didn't have a fatherly figure in his life, or big brothers, sisters, etc. It seemed a lot of creatures that didn't know of a family member were hurt by this fact though. Should he even comment on it, or would that be awkward to converse about? Batting at the repercussions of what might happen if it did make her depressed, Seiki decided to at least comfort her and show her that she wasn't alone in that respect. "I am more like you than what I initially thought, then. I have never met my father. Sometimes it makes my mother depressed to think about, but... There are those that come, and those that go. We have been made beautiful by the crossings of our mothers and our fathers." Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts he smiled innocently at her, he truly believed what he said, and he wasn't unhappy that he never met his biological father. Not with how he was raised. "Remember, Kimia, we always have family around us. You and I are earth siblings, so are the turtles we hunt, as are the birds that fly above us. They are all connected. Never feel alone out in the world."
Softly nuzzling the pale lioness out of comfort, he could only smile at her when she thanked him for his compliment. She as absolutely intriguing to him in her mannerisms. One minute she was shy, then she would be excited, intrigued, and then uncomfortable. All in all though, it was pleasurable to be around her. Something he hadn't felt in awhile.
There it was again, the giggling and laughing as she amused herself with her own ways of thinking. Soon enough he himself was laughing with her, not really sure what about, but more of the sake of just... laughing. Stopping suddenly, Seiki mocked a serious face as his face dripped wet, before he too shoved a large wave of water at Kimia. "That, my good lady, means war!" Splashing another large wave at Kimia, he waited for her retaliation, he wanted to play fairly after all. What she asked him however, was rather unexpected, but pleasant. Yes, it was true, the algae was rather beautiful in its own way! There was always a good and bad about the world around him, but all it took was to look at the item in a good way to make it beautiful. "That is exactly right! Not many understand this." Perking up more at the thought of her being muddy, he couldn't help but be excited by what was to come. "If you like mud, you will love the hunting grounds for the turtles. We shall be caked in it by the time we are done! And don't worry, all you have to do is roll around on the grasses to loosen the mud, or take a bath in the spring near my home." Yes, he did just invite her back to his home, however many creatures stopped by his home for supplies, crafts, or just to talk to him. It was normal to do, right?
Laughing loudly at how well she sparkled, Seiki couldn't help but beam back at her, mirroring her actions. Kimia was just like a cub, but old enough to understand things in another light. He hoped to learn how to think the way she did. It was wonderful to be so in sync with someone and not feel too afraid of hurting them, or just scaring them off with how weird he was. "Don't worry, it won't be. The area they hang out has a large muddy mound that they sit on to enjoy the sun. You could help catch those ones while I catch the ones under the water. Then! Then then then!!! We can eat, and I shall teach you about underwate-" Looking back almost shocked, he watched as his new companion dove under the water, but waited, happy she was so energetic about the whole idea. So maybe she would be okay with an underwater adventure.
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:50 am
Kimia did agree that her mother had been a very pretty lioness, perhaps prettier when she was younger than when she'd first met her mother. It was... an odd past, to say the least. She thought that maybe it was the sort of story you saved for later, when you knew a lion really well or something. But it was hard, because she felt very comfortable with Seiki, everything he said and did made her feel easy and like herself. She wondered how odd it was, how odd she was that she thought of feeling like herself was a rarity!
She blinked and then smiled slightly, almost sadly, as he began to speak of a father he'd never known as well. What he was saying filled her with happiness and sadness at the same time, happy because he was being sympathetic and sad perhaps because she felt sympathetic towards him as well. "I am sorry it saddens your mother. My own mother never really spoke much about him... er... you see, I only was able to meet my mother when I was older. I was lost from her when I was very young." She wasn't sure if she should elaborate or not, as she hadn't even been sure if the story was appropriate in a first meeting. But already she felt like she'd known the lion much longer than the short time they'd spent together. "But fate seemed to keep my wishes to see her again in mind, and somehow we ended up in the same pridelands. I was even blessed with two younger siblings, from the same father. I always found it a little strange though... I mean, I never got the feeling that my mother was ever in love." She tried not to think about it very often though, because it was a subject that started to hurt her brain and confuse her. She liked his take on it though, the fact that their existence in itself was beautiful because their parents' paths had crossed.
She was beginning to get a better understanding of what he referred to as earth siblings, her slower thought process finally putting some information together. She decided that he meant that all living things shared a bond, the bond of life. She liked that, agreed with it. That bond that connected everyone together, that made them all siblings. As he nuzzled her suddenly she gave a little purr, not at all uncomfortable with the familiar gesture of a new acquaintance. "That's right! It's very beautifully put... I feel like... somewhere I've always must have thought that. Or maybe felt it? But after meeting you... I think I understand that feeling a lot better." She smiled, returning the nuzzle.
She squealed as a sudden wave of water was splashed her way, twisting her body and holding up he paws as laughter spilled past her maw. "Oh does it!" She gave a little, playful growl before splashing back, having fun. She was glad he didn't think it was weird to play in the mud, or just enjoy the mud. In fact, it sounded as though they'd be going into it quite soon! She'd never been able to hunt turtles in the mud, as she'd always waited until they were on dry land. Her eyes seemed to light up. "A spring? Like... the kind with the warm water?" That would be amazing! She'd heard stories about such waters, but had never come upon any herself. Then it hit her... she was going to be going near his home! She didn't think she'd ever been invited to someone else's den before, it was... terribly exciting! "I would like very much to do that." She stated with a grin.
After diving under and looking around a bit she surfaced with a big gulp of air, grinning without any sort of shame for not waiting for him. "It's amazing down their Seiki! It's so different!" Ah, what had he been saying before she'd done that? "Oh, let's go to the mud mound!" She started to giggle though, as 'mud mound' sounded funny to her. "It sounds like a good plan! What sort of turtles are there? The ones in the kusini are pretty big, and fairly slow on land." She'd seen smaller turtles too, but those were much harder to catch she thought. She waited for him to lead the way, feeling better than she had in what felt like years.
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