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 Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:44 pm
 Clermelli-Pie stretched and listened to a few things pop. She needed to stop laying in that position. One of these days she was going to go to get up and that popping was going to pinch a nerve or something worse. The lioness had yet to change the way she slept, though, even knowing this to be true. She did not have to share her hammock space, so why not sprawl out like a dead thing and enjoy it? Her cubs both had their own hammocks and she had no mate. She rather figure's it was her right to sprawl while she could.
One day she would have to share her hammock. Well it would be a slightly bigger hammock then, but still she would have to share it. She had seen the hammocks a couple built for themselves, their mate, and their cubs. While big, there would not be as much sprawling done in such a hammock. There would be more snuggling and loving... which Clerm needed to stop thinking about. Why did all thoughts seem to lead toward the idea of a mate and snuggling? There had to be something wrong with her.
It had only gotten worse lately too. She had just gotten back to the normal swing of things again after the crush on that warrior whose sister she hunted with, and then the thing with Sata happened. She was not sure what to think. She liked him, yes, and she thought he must like her from his reaction to her the other day. But he had made himself scarce since then. She was sure he was sorting out his thoughts and feelings. It was the conclusion he might come to that bothered her. She did have offspring older than him, so he might decide she was too old. She was sure that they would stay friends regardless, though.
Pikelis perched above the lioness and watched her get up. "You realize you look like something that died when you sleep, right? It is no wonder when you get up it sounds like something is going to pop out of place when you stretch." She just loved bothering the lioness that was her dear friend. Life was always more fun with someone to pick on. Clerm didn't mind her, so Pikelis would take the time to pick on her as much as possible. Bird and lioness both had fun with the relationship too. "Don't give me that look, you know it is true."
The little yellow and green bird fluffed up her feathers and played at being big for a moment, just to make the lioness chuckle. "See, I am too cute to scold." She was encouraged by the continuing chuckle from the blue lioness and chirped in delight as she took up a perch on Clerm's shoulder. "You are not on the hunting party today... you and your partner are to have the day off... what shall you do with all that free time? Maybe go bother a young blue and white lion? Don't glare at me! It has been two weeks, you should go check on him to make sure he has not died at the very least."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:03 pm
Sata had done a lot of thinking during these past two weeks. Well, as much thinking as it could be done in the presence of the loud avian companion that now followed him around everywhere he went. Sipho had arrived at a strange time in the lion’s life but Sata gladly welcomed him anyway, feeling that he’d been waiting for the blue bird all his life. But now that he was a little used to the spunky little blue bird, Sata couldn’t help but to let his mind wander to other matters. He’d never been much of a thinker but the situation he suddenly found himself in required a fair share of silent pondering. More than once, he considered discussing the matter with one or two members of his family but the blue lion ended up doing all the thinking on his own. It didn’t really take that long really. He’d always thought Clerm was amazing and recently he had come to realize just how beautiful and interesting she was as well. All he needed was a way to figure how to tell her that.
So he’d gotten a crown of white flowers and he was making his way towards Clerm’s hammock, hoping Sipho at stayed at his like he’d asked him to.
----
Sipho was flying in circles near the canopy, high above the Whisperer’s head. The Blue cat’s nerve! Asking him to stay behind because he was going to take care of “something really important”. Oh, the nerve! What could be so important that would require that he go alone and not be interrupted? Pfff! Sipho cared little for the affairs of lions that did not directly concern him. So in the end, he had decided to follow the blue lion anyway and find out what the big mystery was all by himself. So far, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Sata had met up with a lion feline friend of his and was looking for a hammock with some flowers in his mouth. Wait, what?
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 2:40 pm
Clermeilli-Pie watched her companion for a moment and nodded. "Yes you are correct. I should go check on him and see how he is. I can always leave if it is a problem." She stretched and took the time to start grooming herself. She did not need to show up a mess as if she just rolled off her hammock. The lioness took her time to groom herself and make sure she looked decent for going to talk to Sata. She may have taken a bit more care than necessary but she did not want to miss anything.
Groomed and feeling a bit better, the lioness was just about to head out when she saw Sata approaching. He had something white in his muzzle, but she did not pay much attention to it until he got closer. When she realized it was flowers she blinked and tilted her head to the side. "Good morning, Saagar'Tarang. How are you? It has been a little since we last spoke." She did not use the traditional Na'vi greeting, as it slipped her mind with the distraction the flowers presented. "Why do you have a crown of white flowers?"
Pikelis flitted around Clerm the whole time the lioness was getting ready. What little the lioness asked her to get, she did, but mostly she was just being an excited distraction. They were going to see Cloudhead! The little bird could not have been more happy. Now if she could just get the lioness to wear the pretty things she had, like the draping vine of beads and go get something made from that snakeskin that kept staring at them when they slept. That was creepy if you asked the bird.
She was just wondering if Clerm would notice if the rock python skin disappeared, when she noticed Clerm's attention focus on something approaching, and looked as well. The bird chirped happily and went to perch on Sata's head. "CLOUDHEAD!!!" She gave him a wing ear hug and flew back to perch on a branch by Clerm's head. "You are late! We were worried you weren't coming to see us again... I see flowers... OOOOOOOooooooo!" She chirped again, even happier as she was sure the flowers must be for Clerm. She would get to see a Na'vi Wedding like Clerm kept talking about yet!
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:44 am
Sata neared Clerm’s hammock with youthful confidence, silently reviewing what he had planned to say to her but his heart still missed a beat when he found himself standing face to face with the blue lioness who looked as lovely as ever. It was amazing how long it had taken to realize how beautiful she truly was.
“I see you.” The blue lion said with slightly muffled words before he decided to place the flowers gently on the ground. ”I think we know each other well enough for you to start shortening my name.” His tone was light and amused, with no hint of the awkwardness of their previous encounter.
Sata picked up the crown again and threw a quick wink at bird that had greeted him so excitedly.
“I missed you too, little friend.” He nodded at the bird before he finally answered Clerm’s question. With one brisk movement, he threw the crown of white flowers over the blue lioness’ head that was now conveniently free. Clever bird… “These? These are for you, of course.”
------
Sipho landed on a nearby branch, watching the interaction below with narrowed eyes. So… he had been dumped so Sata could go chat up with some girl? Ugh! As if he was going to just take that and wait patiently in his hammock until the lion had had his fun. Ah! Dream on, kitty!
“This is my Blue Cat!” Sipho dropped like a rock and landed heavily on the lion’s back, tiny talons piercing the skin. He was starting to realize that Blue Cat was terrible nickname in this particular pride but he still liked to use it when Sata did something he didn’t really like. And right not, allowing another bird to land on him and being all friendly to the intruder was not something Sipho was happy about. "Go back to that one!"
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 6:06 pm
Clermeilli-Pie would have said something, but the flowers being put on her head rather took the words from her muzzle. What could she say to this really? He had been embarrassed to the point she was not sure he was going to come see her again when they last parted. She knew what it was he had to sort out, but she had not been expecting him to show up on his own, especially not like this. It was, well, breathtaking came to mind. Other words such as delightful and magical were not far behind. The usually practical lioness was at a loss.
She probably looked like an idiot standing there with her muzzle open and no words to say. Clerm fixed that by closing her muzzle and taking a few deep breaths to try gathering the dandelion fluff of her thoughts from the ragging wind of her feelings. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, the lioness smiled at Sata and licked his nose. "Such a nice gift... But why give them to me? You have nothing to apologize for or make up for. No gift was necessary, Sata..." She was half afraid of the answer she would get.
Pikelis glared at the other bird. She was not taking orders from any upstart chick! She flew right over to Sata and landed on his head again. She did it just to get the other bird going. "Even if this is your lion to shadow, you should have some manners about it. He has friends you know." She chirps at the other bird and gives him a very stern look like he is a misbehaving chick. The yellow and green bird might have been a little smaller than the male, but she was not going to let him see that she was aware of it. She puffed herself up and started hopping toward the male.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:19 pm
“Settle down, Sipho. She’s not trying to take your place.” The blue lion said with a chuckle, glancing back at his new companion. All rudeness aside, he was secretly pleased that the blue bird had become so possessive of him and he felt reassured. It seemed Sata had finally found a permanent companion.
His nose wrinkled when Clerm moved closer to lick it but he didn’t shy away this time. On the contrary he seemed quite happy with the progression of this meeting.
“I didn’t think I’d have to explain it…” he started, unsteady at first but an easy grin quickly pushed aside all signs of discomfort. “I just thought… you’d look lovely with it. I mean, you’re already lovely but… I can’t get you out of my mind lately.”
Alright, that was as blunt as he could be, right? No… he would do one better just to make sure there were no misunderstandings today.
“And I don’t want to.” His grin faded and the lion’s expression, though gentle became quite firm.
----------------
As the other bird hopped in his direction, Sipho took the chance to fly back to his perch. As he stood proudly in Sata’s mane – oh, the conversation was getting pretty interesting on this side! – he couldn’t help but to feel a little intrigued. It had been a while since he’d received a lashing out from a girl and to be perfectly honestly, he had just realized this other bird was a female otherwise he might’ve been more polite. And she was quite pretty as well which made things a little awkward.
“Sorry.” He apologized, quietly but honestly. His father would had taken a couple of his feathers if he’d seen him being so rude and Sipho didn’t want to ruin the felines' mood either. And, of course, he didn’t want Pikelis to stay mad at him either. “I like this lion.” Wait, he wasn’t the one proposing today! “I’m Sipho. I’m new here.”
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:36 pm
Clermeilli-Pie was too short to put her forehead against Sata's like she was tempted to do. But that was okay, she would settle for nuzzling his neck a moment before looking back up at him. "You think I am pretty and cannot get me off your mind? Then you bring me flowers and tell me these things... hmm, a female might get the wrong idea. It sounds almost as if a certain lion is proposing something... yet he has not stated it plainly." She gives a little smile at him. She really wanted to hear the words. She certainly would not protest the idea of having Sata stick around on a more personal level.
Then again, the lioness liked the idea of having a mate that was as much a friend as a mate. She pushed the mate word away for a bit. He had not asked, and it might take him a while to get to that point. He probably would want to move things along slowly. Clerm wondered how Sata was going to feel about the 'inspections' and 'warnings' he was likely to get from a few males she knew. Kaym, Turok, and Zimo were all her adopted brothers and they would want to speak with Sata at the very least.
Pikelis turned up her beak at the male bird. He had been rude to her so she was going to get him going if she could. The idea was to make him 'pay' and distract him from the goings on of the lions if possible. Of course she knew that things would work out or she would have been much more into the conversation of the lions as well. "I like this lion as well. He is a perfect match for my lion. I have known this lion a long time... so I know you are new around here just for that. You act like a chick, though..."
The bird thought about her own last statement and chuckled. "Rather like Sata acts like a cub. Oh dear, such a perfect match... maybe Sata can teach you some manners. He certainly has THOSE." She did not want the male to get the wrong idea and think all was forgiven yet. No, she was going to make him earn the forgiveness. Especially since he was rather handsome and she hated the idea of the only male bird that would hang around the pride being rude! That would make her life rather difficult.
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 5:43 pm
Wow, she really was going to make him say it, wasn’t she? Sata swallowed, only a tiny part of his attention now focused on the rather interesting conversation that was taking place behind his back. The blue lion stood straighter for a moment, trying to show how serious he was despite his youthful appearance.
“Then as plainly as I can, I’ll say it.” Sata took one deep breath and continued, his voice firm but some nervousness slowly slipping into his smile. “Sister. Clermeilli-Pie Clerm. To me, you… Nga yawne lu oer.”
For a brief moment, his words were those of the People and using the old language gave Sata a feeling of formality. As if the words themselves were a binding contract. But he didn’t stop there. He’d been practicing, after all so he wanted to get it all out now that the opportunity had presented itself so neatly.
“You are… special. Whenever you’re around, I can’t stop smiling or looking at you. I want to feel that for as long as I can. I want to be by your side and have you by mine… always.”
---------------------
“Sorry.” Sipho repeated and frowned, unsure of how to proceed. He’d said he was sorry! What else could he do but apologize? Yes, he’d made a pretty nasty first impression but surely she’d be quick to let it go… right? She didn’t even tell him her name!
As he silently considered how to make up for his previous rude behavior, he realized the conversation between the two cats was getting rather serious. He turned to face Pikelis again and whispered – though if the point was to have Sata not hear him, perhaps he should not be whispering between the blue lion’s ears.
“Hey, are you hearing this?” Sipho asked Pikelis with a shameless enthusiasm. “You said they match well? How long have you known him…?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 8:52 am
Clermeilli-Pie wrapped her front paws around Sata's neck and nuzzled him. She had not actually expected him to say it yet. The fact that he did delighted her, and nearly brought the lioness to tears. How long had it been since she had a male so much as interested in her, let alone one she felt that special connection with? Sata was a dear friend and she could think of no one else she would have rather heard such words from. She may have a habit of rarely using the people's language, but in this situation it made the words meaning all the stronger.
The lioness let go when she was sure she could speak without doing something embarrassing like bursting into tears. "I knew you would be a good friend when I first took you out to see the weaver birds. I did not expect to find that young cub turned into a strong lion whom easily fits by my side." She gave him a cheeky smile. "I would love to have you at my side, Sata, and to be at yours. Nga yawne lu oer, Saagar'Tarang. You may be a whisper to the animals of the forest, but you seem to be just as effective at whispering to this huntress' heart." She looked up at the flower crown on her head. This was going to get some questions from her 'brothers'.
Pikelis turned her attention to the lion's conversation for a bit, ignoring Sipho. When he asked her a question, though she had to turn the attention back to him. "I am hearing this. It is long overdue." The female looked quite smug at the development. Cloudhead had certainly taken his time about the whole thing! How was she supposed to annoy their cubs if they did not get around to making any? The female pecked the male bird gently. "A month or so... I know Clerm better, but Cloudhead is one of the few males around here she is friends with and has not made an adopted brother of."
Maybe the male bird wasn't so bad. She would have to poke him to find out. "You are a new addition. Cloudhead has been hiding from us for two weeks and then YOU show up when he finally comes back to propose. I do hope you are up to them having cubs. We wouldn't want your pretty feathers to get ruffled." She gave a smug chirp and gently pecked Sata on the head. "Cloudhead, you better get to that cub part soon. Need to make little Cloud babies to make this pride exciting." Okay so maybe that last comment was to embarrass the lion, so what?
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:41 pm
“I’m not a cub anymore, yawne.” Sata whispered quietly, pulling the lioness closer to his chest. He sighed in relief. She had accepted, she felt the same way about him! He’d break into a song if only he had the voice and skill for it. Thankfully, he was smart enough not to ruin the mood like that and he simply held the pale lioness tight, humming softly under his breath.
The only thing that managed to pull his eyes away from her was the whisper of “cubs” being spoken behind him. Cubs… why not? It sounded like the most amazing adventure possible and with Clerm by his side... it all just seemed to fall into place. He threw Pikelis a playful wink before whispering to his back. “Maybe sooner than you think.” And he looked down at the blue lioness, his expression still rather playful and happy.
---------
Sipho took in the information regarding Sata with obvious interest. He didn’t know the lion that well yet and, to be perfectly honest, it annoyed him greatly that another bird knew him better. He stayed perfectly still as she pecked at him, looking mildly confused but not necessarily unhappy.
“I’ve been here… a week? Some days. I’ve been with Cloudhea- I mean, him. And I’m sticking around!” She’d called him chick and, granted, he was still pretty young but definitely no chick! And yet she was coming closer and answering his questions. The closer she got, the prettier he realized she was and it took the word cubs to get his eyes back to the lions. “Cubs…? Now…? Isn’t that… too soon?” Alright, so the idea of having a few balls of fur poking at him was not particularly appealing. He was far too used to that. Still, he tried to appear unaffected. “Little ones are no problem.” He finally concluded and his choice of words might’ve been somewhat misleading though not intentionally.
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