|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:35 pm
 It was his first full day in the land where the strange but good pride lived. His mother, Tseva, was still asleep. As were most of his siblings. Which meant that this was the perfect time for Pas to explore! Everything looked different under the sunlight than it had the night before. And there were lions from the other pride around. Well, lions who lived here. It was easy to tell who they were, since all of them had weird markings on their bodies. Markings like he'd never seen on anybody before. It was really really weird. But kind of cool! The white cub wandered around, looking at all the different but similiar weird markings on the strange but good pride members.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:49 pm
He had been seeing some Swampies around, which was intriguing to him. Tsisqua had come from this land; but his mother came from others far off and so did his lovely wife.
It was interesting to see so many lacking in tattoos. His barring his body in purple, like his mother's purple fur. His tail flicked as he spotted a swamp-juve. He'd blink at how white the male was, but at one point in time Tsisqua was only a brown-masked white lion cub himself. Not so much a Juvenile, as he had acquired two full sleeves at the time.
Moving towards the cub he could feel a Seer's empathy that sparked up a curiousity in the cub. He'd hum a little, trying to be kind to the other pridelings. "Greetings little Swamp-dweller.." His ears would flick forward. A clacking of his earring following. "Are you bored?" He'd give the youngster a grin. Tsisqua was a large lion, and definitely an odd sight to see when it came to young male lions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:56 pm
Pas looked up at the sound of a stranger's voice. And up and up...big lions were big, the cub decided privately. And it was pretty obvious that the big grownup lion was part of the pride that lived here - he had purple marks all over his body!
He wasn't entirely certain what the older male meant by "swamp-dweller". He knew that his mother and other grownups in the pride often talked about a swamp, but he had no idea what they meant. Or...hadn't his mother said he'd been born in one? The boy was too young to remember, all his memories were of walking. And walking. And sometimes sleeping. But mostly walking.
"I'm not bored!" he informed the big lion. "I'm just trying to figure out how everyone here has those weird markings all over!" He pointed at the lion's purple marks to illustrate his point.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:09 pm
He felt more of a confusion lift and his eyes blinked in curiousity now. He almost chuckled at the almost comedic lift of the Juve's head. Sitting upon his haunches he did finally allow a chuckle escape through his large barrel chest under his mane.
Weird markings, how cute. But he gathered that it was due to the fact they weren't normal in the roguelands.
"They are tattoos. We're not born with them, we are given them. They are a permanent addition to our usual markings young one.. They tell our stories." Smiling humbly he tilted his head a little. His two tone mane moving with him.
"Oh I forgot. I am Tsisqua Waja, of the Shadow Clan.. You can call me Tsis if that's easier though."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:13 pm
Tat-oos? And they were given, not born with? How were they permanent then? This was a whole 'nother world for the boy and he was fascinated. He couldn't stop staring at Tsis' "tat-oos".
"How are you given them? How are they permanent? How do they tell your stories?" Pas asked one question after another at high speed, looking up eagerly at the big male. There was nothing like this in the Jini-msemi! He wanted to know everything Tsis could tell him about the "tat-oos".
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:29 pm
"Uhm." He tried to word this in the easiest way possible. "Well our tattoos start when we are born.. Though there are some rogues who join our pride later and get them done later.. Those who have been here since birth usually are covered in tattoos by adulthood." He cleared his throat. "A few ranks know how to tattoo, but they do it by needing ink into our skin with their claws. Or so that's what some say. I've never been one to watch them do their tricks. So if they've used any tricks of the craft, I wouldn't know. I'm an adult and I still don't entirely like the pain I go through when I gain a new tattoo." He said admitting his distaste in the pain.
"However it is an honourable thing to withstand. My siblings and I hold many of them. Our father as well. My mother comes from lands beyond this pride, and is tattoless."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:33 pm
The cub frowned as he tried to make sense of what Tsis was saying about the "tat-oos". He understood that they started when they were born - smaller than he was now! - and that the grownups were as covered as the lion before him. And that it hurt. Pas wasn't sure he wanted any "tat-oos" if they were going to hurt.
"Why would you want a "tat-oos" if it hurts to get it?" the boy asked, confused. Pain was something to be avoided! That's why when Mom gave you a swat on your rear, you did what she wanted so you wouldn't get another!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 8:57 am
Tsisqua smiled and then laid down beside the youngin. Crossing his paws before him. His large paws allowing his claws to unsheath in a sort of stretch. "Well.." He breathed out. How to explain this to a juvenile from another pride. "Because in honour of our memories I gather. For instance.." He placed a paw on one of his sleeves. "I had gotten this when I was your age." So it was on his right, as his left was given during cubhood. "I have never been in trouble before. My parents leaned on me to be sort of an older brother to my siblings.. And one day I get fed up, I was the only one of my family who didn't have some sort of mental disability.. So I left for a day. But when I came back. There was chaos, all of them had issues and I wasn't there to keep them from countering eachother's problems. I feel that.. Tattoos that are a bad memory. Hurt the most. But when you get one that gives you honour.." He moved his mane and over his heart on his brown chest. "I got that one when I gained a wife." His tail flicked lightly.
"And it didn't hurt at all."
He chuckled softly and let his mane settle. "Pain is just something that we feel.. If you don't feel pain, you wouldn't be alive. Even the gods and goddesses feel pain.." He had never met one, but his father had.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:02 am
Pas tried to understand what Tsis was saying - he really did! - but there was too much that simply went over his head. Concepts of "honor" and "mental disability" in particular were not only words the boy was unfamiliar with, but ideas he simply wasn't old enough to understand. He was still having trouble with the "tat-oos" themselves.
However, there was one thing the grownup said that the cub could latch onto.
"But why would you want to feel pain?" Pain was bad, very bad! It hurt!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:17 am
At the question the lion tilted his head a little. "Without pain little one. You can not love." He said instantly. Like as if it was a scripture he had to remember over and over. "Without loss we can not win in the future."
He steadied a bit and got up slowly. "Food for thought little one.." He hummed a little. "When you do something wrong, and you're punished.. Consider it a teaching next time. Doing something wrong only has bad consequences. But when you apologize. It makes you feel better doesn't it? With a loss. There will be a win. Consider that a balance." With that he moved from the young one. "I have to go on a hunt now.. Hope we meet again little one."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:33 am
The boy watched Tsis go, puzzling over the confusing things he'd said. They didn't make any sense at all! He watched the grownup go to hunt before deciding that he should just...go sleep on it. Or maybe his siblings and mother were awake now and he could play with them!
He'd leave thinking for another day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
