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 Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:50 pm
Nema let out a loud moan as she stepped out of her cave for her evening stroll. Last night had been a terribly long night for her. She'd been up all night just listening to the stars gossip on and on about all of their newest drama, and each time she'd told them she felt tired they would simply catch her attention with a new story. She shouldn't be so easily distracted, it was likely to be the death of her...
But it was over now, she'd gone to bed at first light, and wished her stars a pleasant evening to which they informed her tonight would be a starless one. Distraught that she would have to go a night without her muses to guide her, she'd been restless and boy was she paying for it now!
Stretching out and allowing her tongue to loll from her mouth, she took a peek up at the sky. Sure enough, it was starless. A frown quickly forced the lioness' mouth closed, and she took slow steps from the cave her tail dragging slowly behind her as she walked.
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:56 pm
 Rowtag was not in a particularly good mood. His friend was sick and though she had assured him that it was just a cold he was still worried. If she died then what would he do? He relied on her. She kept the nightmares at bay. She kept him from going mad. And...she confused the heck out of him, too, with her words of love that he utterly shunned.
How could anyone love something like him? He who had ruined lives and shamed himself and his family. Living in eternal exile, never to be redeemed. And it was with these dark thoughts that he was returning to the pride after a day of failed hunting. He was supposed to be taking care of his friend by getting her food until she was well, but he'd not yet managed to land a single kill.
He had been a warrior once, apprenticed to a general of the Motoujamii.
Now he was scarred, exiled Rowtag: failed hunter. His life had gone so horribly wrong.
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:08 pm
Slouching around, Nema's ears perked at a noise in the distance. It didn't seem far way, though she felt she had enough room to run if the need appeared. Tilting her head, she paused and focused in the direction she'd heard it coming from. A scent caught her nose, and oddly it seemed familiar. Not familiar as though she knew them, but a scent she'd smelled before...
Looking up and pleading at the night sky, she let out a low, pitiful whine. "Why can't you be here when I need you the most?" Curious of what it could be she quivered slightly, the many possibilities racing through her mind. Looking left and right, she caught no sight of her family, and knew exactly why. She was far too exhausted to manifest their images, and her mind just couldn't place voices with invisible beings!
All alone, Nema prepared herself to dash off at any moment, but held fast until it was her only option.
"I--I know you're out there. You can show yourself, I won't do you harm, though if you intend to do me harm -" Nema paused, a sinking feeling in her gut.. "I-I'm a swift runner."
A swift runner?
The hell kind of threat was that? And she was a terrible runner!
Cursing to herself the lioness kept her distance and awaited a response.
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:16 pm
The sudden voice startled Rowtag and a growl crept out of his throat before he could stop it. Someone was out there? Watching? Maybe laughing at his pathetic attempts at hunting? A member of the pride, perhaps? Ugh, if it was, he'd probably be run out quicker than he could blink an eye. He was hardly an asset to the lands.
He drew to a halt and lifted up his head, peering accusingly into the shadows. "I do not hide. And I'm not going to chase you so maybe you should run and leave me alone. I don't appreciate being spied on or laughed at." And with that he snorted loudly, dipped his head, and trudged onwards.
The land was still unfamiliar to him and with the darkness creeping in, he had a tendency to stumble ungracefully as he went: his large bulk not an easy thing to shift across the firm ground.
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:26 pm
"Laugh? Who's laughing?
Whoever this male was, he had completely lost her on that one.
"W-Wait! you think i'm spying on you? I promise I wasn't. I was just trying to get things off my mind..." Frowning again, Nema felt pitiful. She wasn't even wanted by strangers anymore! What was with everyone lately being so antisocial? It was extremely rude!
Picking up on his growl, Nema took an unexpected step backward. He may claim he wasn't out to harm her, but his growl seemed to say otherwise. "Who are you? And why are you darned rude!" She exclaimed angrily retaking her step forward and debating taking another.
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:32 pm
He paused again, infuriated. Why were the shadows insistent on speaking today? He didn't know them and they didn't know him. Could they not just let him get back to his den where he could mope and worry in peace?
"You were laughing. Don't pretend you weren't." He let his eyes snap across the terrain, seeking the tell-tale sign of light reflected in eyes. But the night seemed darker than normal and he couldn't pick up anything in the gloom. Maybe the owner of the voice was further away than he had thought?
"Rude?" He snapped. "You're the one spying! Pretending you're out here...clearing your mind. Who does that? No one but a spy. Think of a better excuse next time." His tail whipped with frustration. "Are you even a member of the pride?" Being a relatively recent member did have its disadvantages in that he hadn't met everyone yet. "If you're trespassing you ought to be wary. We kill those who tread on our land without permission." Wait. What? Was that the Kizingo'zaa or...was that the Firekin?
He was getting confused and he growled again. "I'm a member so you'd best be wary if you're not."
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:59 pm
Shaking her head in disbelief, the fact that the lion couldn't see her at all didn't even cross her mind. She was far too taken aback by his rude demands to think too far into it.
"Are you insa-" Nema nearly choked on her words as she realized in all likely hood he probably was insane. "It's like you don't even listen when someone speaks." She growled, giving up on talking to the air and stepping into the shadows following the male's voice as he rambled on.
It took some time, especially considering she was terrible tracker - but she managed to find her way to him, and let out a victory squeak as she nearly bumped into his chest.
"Sorry...." She mumbled stepping away from him and having a good look over. Most lions weren't able to see as well at night as she was, so perhaps this was an advantage for her? Who knew, but she simply shrugged it off. "What on Earth are you talking about? We don't kill outsiders - we welcome them." She gave the male a skeptical look and continued on. "Are you so sure you're a member of this pride? You seem pretty rude and unknowing to me...."
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:03 am
And where there had been no one there was suddenly someone and Rowtag peered down at her through the straggly strands of his dark mane. He wrinkled his snout, the tips of his fangs peeking out from his mouth. "You are brave to show your face after your insults." He spoke, disregarding her apology.
His eyes narrowed. "Of course I am a member. I was out hunting for a friend."
Okay so the rules of the pride clearly confused him but atleast he sort of meant well? "Fine. No killing. What are you doing out here, then, if not to try and sneak up on me?" He still didn't buy her former excuse of 'trying to get things off of her mind'.
"If you are just going to stand there gawking you could at least make yourself useful and go and hunt. I need food for my friend. She's sick." And, he had sort of failed, which of course he didn't say right then and there. He was Rowtag. He didn't fail. He just...took his time.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:18 am
Nema mentally snorted at the male as he bared his teeth at her. Was he really trying to scare her? If he was, he wasn't doing a very good job, she was a rogue turned Pride lion! She'd seen some bad things, and this didn't even register on her radar. Instead she merely blew off his intentional or non intentional threat and focused on trying to figure what was up with him. He seemed really off, in a wa she couldn't quite place...
Sighing heavily she rolled her eyes and plopped onto her rear heavily. "I already told you, i'm trying to clear my head. The stars aren't out tonight and that gives me time to think. Normally...." Nema drug off on her words, hitting a sort of mental breakthrough... "Normally, I can't think." Glaring back at the male, she put on her most serious face and dared him to argue it again. But instead he demanded she hunt for him? Well clearly he was insane, but with at least a small heart of gold.
"Er, yeah, you might want to rethink that." She commented, forcing herself to her paws so the male could get a better look at her skin and bones physique. "I'm not the best hunter ... but I am sorry to hear about your friend." Another pause as Nema debated whether to ask about his friend's illness. With a sincere curiosity she spoke up once more. "What exactly is wrong with her - if you don't mind my asking?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:33 am
He sat heavily and without warning, expelling a loud breath of air in exasperation. He really couldn't get the help, could he?! "You can't think when the stars are out?" He looked up and realised, perhaps for the first time, that they were gone. He remembered the night skies in the desert. The endless expanse. How bright they had shone. They had use them to navigate - though he'd never bothered to learn the ins and outs of it.
"Well fine. Since you're just here to 'think' and not to hunt I guess this whole thing has been pointless." He eyed her suspiciously for a moment and then seemed to relax.
Miw-Sher would be so mad if she found out he'd possibly been mean to someone else. He forced himself to try and soften his tone a little. "She says it is a cold, but what if she is wrong? What if she dies and leaves me here to--" Fend for himself...? He growled a little. "You're the wrong colours. Not a spy. You are a member, then."
In his mind's eye he saw a little white lioness urging him to be polite and begrudgingly gave in. "I am Rowtag. Some...some of the weird lions call me 'Red'."
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:42 am
"N-No I can't. They're really loud! Have you ever tried to think when someone is screaming in your ear? It's really, REALLY hard." She shouted, never even realizing that she was doing so. Holding in her inner rant, Nema stood and quietly listened, noting the strange emotion hidden under his words, he really did have a heart under the crude exterior. She'd run into grumpy lions before, but never one who seemed to have a gentle side to them. She was quite intrigued.
"Well, don't you think she knows her own body better than you do?" Nodding her head matter of factly, she continued. "If she says it's a cold, it very likely is a cold. I wouldn't let your mane get in a bunch, unless you have serious need to worry. But from what it sounds like, you're mostly just worried." She spoke softly, trying to comfort the lion who seemed ridden with some strange anxiety.
"And I am Nema, I don't really socialize enough to know what the other weird lions would call me." She giggled, "But as one of those weird lions you speak of, I think I prefer Rowtag!" She smiled gently once more, before offering her final bit of comfort. "If you're really worried about your friend, maybe two hunters are better than one? I could at least give it a shot."
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:12 pm
Okay, well this female was crazy...should he start backing away? The night had only been quiet. Very, very quiet, except for the odd chirp of a bug or some such thing. This shouting? That wasn't normal. Before he had a chance to comment - or extricate himself from the conversation - she continued on with the conversation.
"Worried?" He seemed a bit put out by that. "No. Not really...just...she hunts for me, so..." A poor excuse, really, but it was true. She did the hunting and he did the...uh...protecting? Yeah, the totally more manly jobs.
He gave a grunt of appreciation. He didn't like nicknames and there was nothing wrong with the name Rowtag. A strong, fiery name which his mother had given to him - though she likely cursed him nowadays. "Nema." He replied, glad it was a short name. His ears picked up at the following offer and he stood, somewhat slowly.
"You would help?" His eyes seemed a little suspicious again but, after a moment he gave a curt nod. "Okay. I accept the offer. Two hunters should work better." Although if they were both as awful as one another...it might not be any more successful than if they tried alone. He turned back to look in the direction he had come and peered through into the darkness. "Perhaps we...will get lucky."
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