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 Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 5:32 pm
Kovu certainly hoped it would set in.
Tonight, Kovu sat upon his usual sunning rock, unable to sleep with his thoughts. And, as poor as a son as he might have been, he did not intend to trouble his father with his worries any further. The older lion deserved no such treatment. Not after what they’d been through together.
Instead, Kovu would wait. See if his mind didn’t calm, or if he couldn’t pace out the fears. He rose from the rock, padding down its sides, and took to walking about its edge. The dirt pounding back against him was reassuring. Faithful. There were no words, no reassurances, just the ground. Solid and steady and good.
Sometimes, Kovu wished he had someone besides his father to speak to. The other lion was comforting, certainly, but… there was only so much he would put on him. Sukari was old. Frail. Not quite as hardened as the Outlanders were. He was one of them, and yet not, all at once.
In a way, Kovu pitied him.
But… he really did need a friend. An open ear to listen to, to take faith in. A new advisor. Picking up his pace while he trod, Kovu sighed to himself. He wasn't going to take his father from his position, but he really could use a strong paw to fall back on.
This had to work itself out somehow. It just had to.
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 6:26 pm
She wasn't overly friendly, so she had very few true connections with most of the pride, but that wasn't to mean she was not personable. There was something charming about her, as if all her flaws made her right in the Outlands. As long as she pulled her own weight, she was welcome, and there was something in that open acceptance that would always call to her.
Calypso was returning from a trip into the rogue lands, empty-handed once again. While she cherished the Outlands, rogues never seemed that interested to turn towards a pride in withering lands. It was why it was so important to get more members, new bloodlines, so the Outlands didn't become stagnant. To press forward would always be their only option, and Calypso loathed returning home with no one to show for her attempts.
She was a little disappointed in herself, but that wasn't something she'd readily admit to anyone. Calypso neared the center of the pride, and would have gone straight to her own den if her red eyes did not catch sight of their King laying on a rock. He seemed lost to his thoughts, which should have been a hint to turn away.
Calypso was Calypso, though, and she couldn't simply pass by him. "You look a little put out," she commented as she approached Kovu, arching an inquiring brow. Calypso considered the pride to be too small to be so formal with everyone she came across. Kovu would correct her if she was stepping out of line, anyways.
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:39 pm
Ah, Calypso. Kovu knew of her, as one of the few Drones they had left. She was charming, smooth. Her family had been here, once, from what Sukari had told him. Now it was just her. It was a story he was all too familiar with, unfortunately, and on that, Kovu sympathized. Perhaps, he hoped, she’d at least gotten a goodbye. It was more than he had, but nothing he’d wish on anyone else.
“I… am a bit put out, yes,” he admitted, stopping his pacing to look at the darker lioness. But looking over her, she seemed put out as well. Likely, she’d been unsuccessful in her recruitment. Normally, he’d be more upset by it, but it wasn’t the time or place. Not when tension was running so high within their borders anyway. They could all be… understanding, he supposed. If not a bit kind.
“You seem troubled as well, Calypso. Hunting for new members was hard, I take it?” He finally wagered aloud, tone a simple question. It wasn’t harsh, this time. Simply inquiring as to what had occurred.
But he wouldn’t pressure her to speak.
“I… have had my doubts, Calypso,” Kovu offered instead, feeling up to sharing. If he were honest, it would inspire the same from her. And loyalty. That, he could always use in his followers- especially those expected to leave the pride regularly.
“I do not feel the part of a king. I do not feel the part of a prince, either. I was born into it, certainly, but…” the would-be king sighed, shaking his head.
“It is not that I am afraid. There isn’t fear within me, in anything I do. But… I wonder if my mother would approve of my rule. Would she be pleased, with where I’m taking us.” Here, he looked Calypso in the eye- this was not something he would lie on. Even if few lions knew this story, it wasn’t one he would ever manipulate.
Because it was his story, in the end. And that made him who he was.
“Am I doing the right thing?” He questioned, not particularly to her, or himself. It was a question he wished Sarafinah would answer… and one that the lioness never would.
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:58 pm
Calypso did not feel particularly pressured to answer Kovu. If she wanted, she could divert the conversation towards a less troubled subject, but she felt comfortable talking to her would-be King. The black lioness looked momentarily aggrieved when he picked up on the fact that her venture into the roguelands was unsuccessful, but the expression faded away quickly with a roll of her eyes. "There is little charm in our lands to the outside eye. Other lions would rather move on, or turn towards a pride with greater fortune," she answered honestly. There was no point in lying to him, and while Calypso was many things, she was not dishonest to the members of her pride.
"I think the point of having females be drones is that we're supposed to be charming," she scoffed at the word 'charming'. "But, I don't think that is enough sometimes. I'm hoping my next venture out will be more fruitful." She had her doubts, though. Outsiders joined their ranks rarely, and very few drones were successful. It wasn't surprising that she was running into trouble gathering new members, but that didn't make it any less disappointing.
Calypso listened with an uncharacteristic amount of patience as Kovu explained what was bothering him. He had listened to her, and it was only fair that she muse over his own words. "I think what will make you a better king than most is that you do not feel like one. I think I would be irritated to have a little lord ruling over me, so it's comforting that you don't seem to be. You're more part of the pride than a normal King would be, I believe." She shrugged her shoulders and sat down in front of him, indicating that she did not plan to go anywhere if he wanted to continue talking.
"Honestly, your mother is not here now. If she objects to your rule elsewhere, it doesn't matter. She's not here, and you are. That makes a world of difference. You are this pride, she is not, not anymore." His question, however, she did not answer. Calypso figured it was something that he needed to answer for himself. Her words would only offer blind comfort or harsh reality. It was Kovu's place to decide where to take this pride, and if it was the right thing. Kovu would figure it out, she trusted. He seemed swayed by doubt right now, but Calypso would be more worried for a King who seemed to have none.
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:01 am
“I’d like to think, someday, outsiders will find charm to us. I will admit, I’m not certain of how, but…” Kovu trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished. There really wasn’t any way to revitalize a dying land, that he knew of. Nor was there much of a way to make outsiders see the beauty of it. For all of Calypso’s charm and cunning, the fact still remained that their homeland was not the most beautiful place to live. It was… troubling, to say the least. If there was a solution to the issue, it eluded Kovu, and that frustrated him more than anything.
“Regardless of how fruitful it is… I acknowledge your efforts, Calypso. Do not let that be lost on you,” he offered, despite the worry he had for their bloodlines. She wasn’t to blame; not solely, or for the majority of it, at any rate. Only a fool would take anger at someone who worked in their name. Particularly someone who did a job aforementioned King would fail at, spectacularly.
“If you had a little Lord ruling over you, he’d be dead before he could open his mouth,” Kovu mused, rather entertained with the idea. He remembered his days of declaring himself a prince, snapping orders at whoever was in the area to listen. What an obnoxious brat he’d been. His father still took great amusement in those stories, much to Kovu’s dismay. But, at least, he’d grown out of it. His people were far, far more important than his dignity or pride.
When Calypso took to sitting, so did Kovu. This, he realized, would be the listening ear he’d been seeking- and he was not such a fool as to turn away the companionship she offered. Not when she was one of their longest and most faithful members. He held back any snide remarks he might have otherwise made, simply listening to the other lioness speak. And while it stung to hear, well… there was a certain honesty in her words that gave Kovu pause.
She really wasn’t around anymore.
He’d known it, of course. As a boy, her absence had been like a lost limb. And he’d watched his father wither away, lonely and heartbroken at the loss of Sarafinah. But…
She really wasn’t here. And dwelling was only going to kill any promise of a future the pride might have.
“That… raises an excellent point,” Kovu agreed, nodding slightly to acknowledge her words. It was something he was going to have to think on- understanding that, no matter how much he sought her return and her acceptance, Sarafinah was not going to provide it. He had to be the one to take pride in his own paw steps, now.
Turning to Calypso, he gave her a questioning look.
“And you find me a lion worth following, Calypso?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:23 am
"Most lions are practical. These lands offer no great bounty, but relocation is a... disagreeable thought." Her entire family had relocated - if Calypso had wanted to do the same, she would have been long gone. She would have followed her mother and father out of these lands and to the greener pastures they sought. Calypso had lingered behind until there was no hope of catching up to them, no hope of following directly in her mother's pawprints. Calypso couldn't help but feel resentful that her mother had left the lands without so much as a second thought. Whim had struck her, and Katiti apparently could not ignore it.
Calypso could, and so the whim to follow her mother had come and passed, and she yet remained in the Outlands. This pride was likely the only one she'd ever truly belong to, and it was the only one she wanted to be a part of. "Acknowledgement is well and good, but actual results are better. It's impossible for me to just shrug this off as another failure. New members are hard enough to come by, and I'm worried that the slow trickle of them into our lands will come to a halt." Without new blood, the Outlands would fade away again. Again. Calypso had already gone through the pride falling apart once - she did not want to be put through it again.
"The lands would get him long before the pride did," Calypso mused with a slow, toothy grin. The Outlands were not for the soft lions like those that came from the Pridelands, nor were they the right lands for those who required and demanded too much. Any little lordlings that tried to live in these lands wouldn't last long, or if they were smart they would move on. But... most Lords weren't that smart. They didn't have to be, they had good breeding to back them up instead of intelligence.
Kovu was different in that way, she supposed. He hardly felt like a Lord among a herd of lost antelope. He was not so highly raised on a pedestal that Calypso couldn't relate to him. Kovu was another living piece of the pride - their positions were really the only difference between them. Despite fortunate lineage, Kovu hadn't let that make him soft. He wasn't sure of his position, that much was clear, but Calypso liked him that way. He could be a lot more worse things, after all.
"I do make a few smart comments every now and then. Perhaps it will turn into a habit," she joked with a soft laugh. Calypso seemed to be at a fair amount of ease with Kovu. The pride was small, which made it fairly impossible and awkward to be uncomfortable around family and friends.
His next question put a pause to her somewhat charming humor. Her head tilted subtly to the side as red eyes observed her Prince. An answer was not to be given lightly, not because Kovu was undeserving of one, but rather because the question deserved to be weighed properly in her mind. Kovu may not be exactly King material, but he was a lion she could understand. He was a lion she could relate to and respect. She may not treat him like a King, but he had her loyalty from the moment the pride began to come together again.
"Yes." Her answer was serious, and then with a flick of her tail and a toss of her bangs, she smirked. "You're imperfectly perfect," came the teasing conclusion to her answer.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:38 pm
“If there should be a home my people would follow me to, I would take them. I want nothing more than for our pride to prosper.” Kovu admitted, slightly downcast in tone. He loved his homelands, truly. But he would be the first to tell that the lands were dry and barren. Herds rarely migrated through, if ever, and shade was sparsely found. Where there was not blistering heat, there was howling winds and bone-chilling cold. The cubs, especially, suffered the hardest through it. And while it made them into stronger adults, he had a great deal of sympathy for their struggles.
“New blood will come, Calypso. We have just barely raised our heads once more. When other lions hear of our successes, they will take interest in us. I assure you, there is no need to worry.” At least, he hoped not. When they had been established longer, perhaps he would grow angry with her. But chastising the lioness for a mistake, when they were all getting their paws planted once more, seemed rather foolish.
Especially considering he’d had a great deal of stumbles himself. He was not going to cast the first stone when he, clearly, was not perfect.
“You’ll have to warn me if all your comments turn wise. We might have to make you an advisor, should that happen. Who knows what I’d do without you,” He laughed as well, eyes wrinkling slightly. Calypso… was certainly a special lioness. Kovu had been very fortunate to run into her, this day. While Sukari was kind and offered gentle words, speaking with someone who was not in the family was rewarding. Especially since she had such great faith in him.
In response to her comment of being imperfectly perfect, Kovu laughed- a rich and hearty thing, as compared to his softer chuckles. Imperfectly perfect. That was certainly a way to look at it. When his chest had stopped rumbling, he sighed and smiled at her. Genuine and open, as rare as that was for him.
“Thank you, Calypso. I shall keep that in mind. It’s… very assuring to hear, coming from a lioness like you.”
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 7:02 pm
"A lot of us are rooted to these lands - it why a few of us came back when you returned to the lands. If we had wanted to be gone, we would." Some definitely had. The pride had lost valued members, and while they had not been a big group, their small pride was made smaller by that loss. No one could really be blamed for that, though. There was a feeling of inevitably when it came to the subject, something that couldn't be changed no matter how hard one tried. All Calypso could do now was try to find new members to replace the ones that were lost.
The lioness nodded her head, and while she had her doubts that finding new members would be easy... surely there were some lions out there willing to believe in them. "I'm sure once we find proper footing, some will come around. Looking at the bright side, the members we do get must truly be dedicated to want to remain in these lands with us," a smile briefly flashed across her dark face as a mild attempt to inject some more humor into their conversation.
"Now why would I want to warn you?" Her smile turned sly, and she inclined her head to Kovu, "That would hardly be any fun. I'll enjoy keeping you on your toes. And, I'm sure you'd manage. You have plenty of lions loyal to you and a fair bit smarter than me. It's one of your blessings, that you will always have someone at your side." Calypso believed that Kovu deserved as much. It wasn't just good breeding that had earned him such loyalty. There was a genuine quality to Kovu - not necessarily that he was an honest lion, but he was trustworthy. For some reason, Calypso had a fair amount of faith in him.
"No, thank you," she answered politely enough. Calypso wasn't truthfully a polite lioness. She tended to be rough around the edges, and formalities were not her strong suit. "A lioness like me?" she teased, taking nothing more from that comment than the clear opportunity to tease her would-be King.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:25 pm
“I’m thankful for the ones who returned. Were it not for you… Well. It would be my cousin, my father, and I. And what a pride that would be!” Kovu snorted, trying to seem amused. But after giving it some thought- being stuck in these lands with naught but his father and cousin- the would-be king gave a shudder of disgust. They were companionable lions, certainly. But not ones he wished to spend the entirety of his days with. He’d take wandering in the desert with Calypso, starved for food rather than company.
“They’ll see the appeal in our ways, I’m certain. With lions like you and I at the fore-front, what do they have to lose?” He laughed, here, a soft an easy thing, falling into the relaxing air that Calypso put off. They were… friends. It was strange to consider, in his mind, but he supposed even lions like him had friends. She certainly was easier to confide in than anyone else.
At the mention of not telling him, Kovu’s brows raised. He was prepared to make some snappy comeback, to keep Calypso on her toes, but the words fell short in his throat. Instead, he was bombarded with a seemingly self-depreciative tirade on the lionesses part. It… hurt, he thought. To see that, while she had such faith in him, she had little in herself. Cocking his head to one side, Kovu looked over her.
“You are an exceptional lioness also deserving of loyalty, Calypso. Never forget that,” He added, more kingly and serious in his tone. It wasn’t truly his place to lord over her, as they’d discussed, but…
Confidence was necessary- particularly if they were to recruit more members to their ranks.
“I would not send you out in my name, did I not take a great deal of stock in your capabilities. And you, my friend,” Kovu continued, the moral preaching of his words lost in his tone.
“Will always have an ally in me. Do not think that you will not have someone at your side- even if we take different caves and different paths, I will support you as you have supported me.”
He smiled.
“And yes. A lioness like you, you teasing whelp. If I didn’t take your opinion into such consideration, I’d have beaten you for insolence by now.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:52 pm
"And that is hardly a party," Calypso answered with a small smile. No, having a small family bound together certainly was not the perfect beginning to a pride. Calypso could have her doubts about returning to the Outlands, but in the end she was glad that she did. There were better prospects elsewhere, but she felt that this was where she truly belonged. No one else would give her half the respect she received from most of the pride members. There were a few that were nearly intolerable, but every member was valued. She felt like she was important and that her role mattered.
"I don't need to have you flattering me!" Calypso admittedly was fairly embarrassed by her King's praise. Having Kovu wear his status on his sleeve was a little more uncomfortable than talking to Kovu-the-friend. She wasn't entirely sure that she was deserving of his confidence in her. All she had done was come back to the pride, and that was no remarkable feat. It was a decision, one that few had made but one that more would make in the future. It was Calypso's task to see to that. The rank was frustrating and taxing, but Calypso knew the worth in it. She would push through adversity to do her best for her pride.
"But uh... thank you." Calypso was clearly pushing to get away from the more formal conversation. She felt that her appreciation for his faith was satisfactory enough. That and she wasn't sure she could carry on with formalities for too long. It had not been her strong suit even back when the original pride was still around.
"You wouldn't dare beat me! I'm far too charming, and probably the most likeable lion in the entire pride, and that is saying a fair bit." Calypso smiled sweetly at him, perking up her ears and putting on her best 'good girl' expression... which still looked fairly devious. She was a clever lioness, and it was hard to hide such a trait. "You'd have a rebellion on your hands, and then I'd be the Queen of Half the Outlands. It is not quite a rank I desire."
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:58 pm
“Hah! Am I not allowed to like my pride members?” Kovu laughed, beaming like a madman. This was how to fluster Calypso, then! Compliments! He was far too amused with this revelation, seeing the usually-composed Calypso so rumpled. Perhaps it was cruel, but… really! She was so composed, as often as they spoke, that it was a relief to see her as fallible as the rest of them. He knew Sukari admired the lioness’s strength, and perhaps… hearing of her character so comparable to his own would put the older lion at ease. Calypso would forgive him. Eventually. She knew how much the old bird needed to loosen up. It was a forgivable offense.
“It seems like formality and flattery don’t suit you, Calypso. I’ll keep that in mind if I ever need to upset you,” he teased back, rather pleased with himself. Yes yes, this was perfect and fun. Much more light-hearted and easy than sulking around, with only the company of his own thoughts. He would keep this in mind, should he get upset again. Go to Calypso, rather than waste his day prowling about like a beaten slave.
He could not help the bark of laughter that escaped him at her expression.
“If anyone trusts you, making that face, they deserve to have their skulls bashed in. You aren’t exactly the image of a sweet cub, Calypso,” Kovu mused, easily pulled from his serious mood by her humor. Flicking his ears back, he grinned.
“I’m also terribly, terribly offended by your claim of being the most charming lion. I’d like to think I myself have a bit of a silver tongue,” Kovu purred, sitting up more regally and proud. He closed his eyes, tilting his head ever-so-slightly upward to give off the look of regency. It wasn’t something he was used to, and honestly, it probably looked as stupid as it felt.
But when Calypso seemed distracted enough, the would be king turned and pounced, making sure to keep from seriously hurting her. A friendly tussle was in good spirits! Kept morale high.
“If you intend to run a rebellion, my dear, you had best keep your wits about you. Otherwise, this rebellion will be short indeed.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:15 pm
"You're not allowed to inflate their egos! Some will get out of control," Calypso chastised playfully. She already had a fairly high opinion of herself, though she rarely showed it. Calypso could be considered a little self-obsessed, as she prided herself on being attractive and, when she wanted to be, personable. Her current failures to bring in new members was the only hindrance to her ego. It filled her with an unusual amount of self-doubt that she rarely felt. She knew she was fairly amazing, but had recently done nothing to prove that to anyone else.
"If you start that game, I promise I will find some way to make you equally, if not more, miserable," Calypso swore with a smirk. She was confident that she could find her King's weakness and exploit it mercilessly. She had shown her colors, and doubtlessly Kovu would show his in time. If they were going to play this game, the black pelted lioness was confident that she would win. She was strong minded, and if she wanted to tease and torment Kovu, she definitely would. As she said, he wouldn't dare scold her.
The lioness scoffed, ears twitching backward as if she were aghast to have been found out so quickly. "I am perfectly sweet. At least I was when I was a cub. You'd be surprised how many lions I could win over with such an expression!" Such a lack of faith in her! Calypso would have to practice looking sweet, though she doubted that Kovu was unbiased when he saw through the expression.
"Sure, you have a silver tongue, but it's nothing compared to mine. If we did a poll within the pride right now, everyone would claim that I was more charming than you." The dark lioness outright laughed at the pose Kovu pulled himself into. He looked haughty and overly regal - something he'd actually never look like or Calypso would think that he had bumped his head against one of the termite mounds. Laughs were not easily won out of Calypso, but she couldn't help it when Kovu looked so ridiculous.
It gave him the chance he needed to catch her off guard. He pounced on her, and Calypso released a surprised yelp. She pressed her back paws against his stomach, threatening to try and throw him off while she made a show of looking disgruntled. "With you as my opponent, I think I could win every time," she purred confidently. Hell, even with him having caught her off guard she thought herself the victor. It was a Calypso thing.
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