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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:12 pm
Demani couldn't sleep that night, but that didn't really surprise her. She had put forth an honest effort into getting some rest, but in the end gave up and ended up sitting near the pool's edge, thinking to herself in the darkness. Demani had felt a lot of pressure to find her name, and had at first been convinced that her quest would be easy and that she would be home in no time. But, of course things didn't go the way she planned. She had been gone from home for quite a while now, and the only piece of it she had was the lion sleeping behind her. The lioness looked back over her shoulder and to Pas, but with the lion asleep she didn't feel that ridiculous fluttering in her chest that she had before when their eyes met. The feeling, however, didn't seem to stay away for long. As she contemplated him, it rose again, and in the end she had to look away from him and back to the pool. Moonlight broke through the leaves hanging overhead, scattering a reflection upon the water's surface. It was a pretty sight, tranquil even, and helped to calm her pounding heart. Demani felt that she could just stare at the sight in front of her, and the world would stop spinning, and time would stop ticking, just for her in this moment. It struck her suddenly, and for a moment Demani was paralyzed by the realization. The revelation itself was so monstrous that it nearly stole her breath away, and she seemed incapable of properly reclaiming it for a few minutes. Calmness was chased away by a sudden rise of excitement, and unthinking for her poor friend's sleeping state, she turned around and pounced on top of him. The young lioness wasn't usually so playful, but her teeth clamped on Pas' mane, knowing it wouldn't hurt him, and shook him playfully. "Pas! Pas!"
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:19 pm
 The white lion had been sleeping deeply, dreaming of traveling (since what else would a Pilgrim dream about). In the dreamworld, the charming forest he'd been moving through turned dark, the trees lost their leaves and the branches reached out and grabbed him by the mane, pulling him this way and that... Heart thundering, Pas jolted awake to the sound of his name. The trees weren't that close, their branches were still leafed and not reaching for him, and Demani was standing over him, eyes wide in the darkness. He couldn't read much more of her expression than that, and the lingering fear from his nightmare spilled over. "Demani? What is it? What's wrong?" He looked around alertly, but didn't see anything that should cause her to wake him up. Even so, Pas got to his feet and looked around, on guard against any possible danger to himself or the lioness, no matter where it might come from.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:27 pm
Demani hadn't even thought that she would scare Pas by waking him up so suddenly, and the young lioness was far too excited to realize she had roused the lion so rudely. Her energy bubbled like a fount, and the young lioness hopped back away from Pas to give him room to stand up. "I did it!" Demani suddenly declared, her heart soaring with joy. She couldn't believe that it had finally happened. The lioness couldn't even be bothered to think of all the implications of discovering her name, she was just too happy that she finally had it.
"I really did it," though she seemed slow to explain what 'it' was. Her thoughts were whirling through her head, and impulsively she stepped back up to him and nuzzled her cheek briefly to his. After all, she probably would have never discovered her name if she hadn't run into Pas and started to travel with him. She had to thank him somehow, because Demani would still be Demani if she had been on her own travelling through the rogue lands.
"I was just sitting here, thinking to myself, and it came to me. Pas, I know my name! I know my actual name!" Demani declared with a large grin.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:33 pm
Pale blue eyes were wide in the moonlight as he watched Demani twitch and grin. He was slowly getting the impression through his sleep-fogged brain that whatever had happened, it was not a bad thing. Which was...good? He guessed? He'd really rather she'd waited until the morning.
Until she leaned over and nuzzled him. That took him by complete and total surprise and the white lion stiffened in shock. Had she just...? Sure, it was something he'd love to do with her, but Pas would never want to be so forward, especially if he wasn't certain that the lioness would welcome his touch.
He was so taken aback and focused on the physical that it took a few repetitions of her words for him to realize what she was saying.
"Wait...you know your name?" he repeated, dazedly. "How? When? That's awesome!" He wanted to ask all the questions, give Demani - except her name wasn't Demani anymore - all the congratulations in the world, all at once.
This was all a bit much for a poor lion who'd only just woken up.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:41 pm
Demani didn't even realize how he froze when she nuzzled against him. She was trying to be appreciative for his aid, and in the end, she simply wanted to initiate that contact. The lioness didn't quite understand why, and only acted on the will that she had wanted to do it, so why not? "That's what I said!" she answered, her tone playfully scolding. She knew her friend was sleepy, but she still expected Pas to keep up with her a little bit. This was big, this meant that she could begin the journey back home, even if she couldn't think of going anywhere without Pas by her side.
"I just realized it. I wasn't even trying, but it came to me, and I know it's the right one. I did it." The young lioness was insanely proud of herself, because when it seemed like she would never know her name, it finally came to her. Demani was ready to condemn herself to the life of a rogue, but life had intervened in the best way possible. She had no idea exactly how it came to her, but it did.
"Pas?" she stepped back from him, unable to help the proud puffing of her chest, her eyes bright in the dark with unbridled joy. "I'm Susi'mimiteh."
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:49 pm
He watched her, waiting with anticipation, eager to be the first besides herself to know the lioness' new name. And he wasn't disappointed at all.
Well, maybe a little. "Susi'mimiteh" didn't roll off the tongue the way "Demani" had. So, Pas decided, it could use a bit of shortening for common usage. A nickname. And he grinned as the perfect dimunition occurred to him.
"Well, that is a mouthful!" he teased. "A lovely mouthful, but still, I hope you don't expect me to call you Susi'mimiteh all the time." He struck a pose like a lookout. "Look, Susi'mimiteh, I see a river!" Another pose, this time a bit silly, like an overexaggerated hunter. "Susi'mimiteh, a herd of zebra!" Yet another pose, this one the most exaggerated of all. "Oh no I'm falling! Help me Susi'mimiteh!"
Finally exhausting his mirth for the time being, Pas settled down again, but his eyes glittered with amusement. "Truly, I'm glad for you, but maybe if I just called you Teh? It's so much simpler to say, at least most of the time!"
He really hoped that she didn't mind his poking fun, but really, her name had always been longer than his and now it was so very much longer that he'd been unable to resist making the (probably very bad) joke.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:59 pm
Susi'mimiteh watched his ridiculous poses, her eyes bright with mirth, and finally the lioness caved and laughed at the little scenarios he was playing out to her. She had to admit, her name was ridiculously long, but she felt like it suited her. She had been so used to her short name, it was powerful and rough, and her actual name turned out to be something more elegant and pretty. She couldn't have guessed it if she had tried to. "Hey now, it's a pretty mouthful," she replied playfully, but it was then that Pas came up with the perfect solution.
Being called 'Teh' made her heart skip a beat. Something felt so right about the nickname, and she found herself staring at Pas with wide, surprised eyes. "Yeah, I like that, actually. Teh." Pas' joking had been terrible, but Teh didn't mind it. In fact, she found herself flustered and embarrassed over the teasing. It was a little out of her character to get so worked up over something, but the way Pas said her new name had her a little overwhelmed.
She'd scold herself for being so ridiculous if Pas wasn't sitting right in front of her. "I can go home now," but even as she said it... she realized that she wouldn't, not without Pas. Suddenly she felt rather conflicted with her name, knowing what it meant and what she could do, but also couldn't do, because she couldn't leave Pas behind.
Teh wouldn't leave Pas.
"But I can always go home later."
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:05 pm
Pas had been grinning back at the lioness like the fool he was, glad that his silly performance had amused her. Especially because it hadn't insulted her. That would be...unfortunate. But no need to dwell on that dark possibility because it hadn't come to pass and so he shouldn't worry about it at all.
Instead, he could worry about the fact that Susi'mimiteh could go back to the mountain...and Pas couldn't. He had no more time than it took for his expression to crumple and fall before the lioness spoke again.
She'd...stay out here for him? Really? That...that was amazing. And wonderful. And no wonder he loved her so.
Wait...he loved her? Pas had to stop a moment and rethink that. Or rather, reexamine the things that had led him to think such a thing so simply and baldly. But no matter how he looked at recent events, there was no changing what he'd thought. Somehow or other, he'd fallen for the grey lioness before him. Pretty hard, actually. In fact, it seemed a miracle that she hadn't noticed already.
"You'd stay out here? Just because I haven't found my name yet?" he asked, voice hoarse with emotion and disbelief.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:13 pm
"Well, I'm not leaving you," Teh announced, and she sounded so sure of herself, so convinced already that she wasn't going to go anywhere without Pas. She couldn't imagine travelling all the way back home without him, not after they had come so far together, not when she... was beginning to feel rather strongly for him. Teh was embarrassed over that train of thought, so much so that she was thankful for her fur, and that Pas could not see the blush to her cheeks underneath it.
"So... I'm not going anywhere without you, even if it takes you seasons to find your name. I'm not going." Teh wasn't even sure if Pas wanted her to stay. If he didn't, she would go, but she was direly hoping that he desired her company as much as she was beginning to desire his. The lioness took an uncertain step forward to her white-coated companion, her head ducked uncertainly. Perhaps the discovery of her name was making her feel bold, because she wanted him to know and understand why she wasn't going to leave him behind.
Teh nuzzled the top of her head underneath his chin, "If you don't mind me staying with you until you do?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:19 pm
He couldn't even try to pretend that he wasn't gratified to hear Teh's pronouncement that she wasn't going to leave him. Especially when he was the one looking for a name now. If finding a name was anything like finding a place...well...they might be doomed.
"What if...what if I never find it?" Pas whispered, fear digging its icy claws into his heart once more. He was too afraid to even respond to her nuzzles, which he did enjoy, but they were a distant thought compared to the vastness he felt spreading around him, the world he might be doomed to travel for the rest of his life.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:26 pm
There was that chance that Pas never would find his name. Teh didn't think it was likely, but if the possibility was concerning the lion, it was also going to concern her. She lightly bumped his chin with her head, trying to get him to cheer up over the prospect. Teh would tell him not to worry about it, but a name was quite a significant thing for her pride. She knew what she felt like when she thought she would never find her's, after all. It was probably what Pas was going through now.
"Then that's okay," she told him, stepping back then so she could look Pas in the eyes. "It's okay if you don't find it. I won't leave you. If you never find it, I promise you won't be alone, because I am not going to go home without you." Never. She couldn't picture making it all the way back home without the lion by her side. Teh had faith that Pas would find his name, even if he didn't. If her's could suddenly come to her, then surely his could do the same. They would just have to find it.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:31 pm
The young male closed his eyes, savoring Susi'mimiteh's words and actions. Hearing her say that she would stay with him, the way she was trying to comfort him with touch, it did reassure him, make him feel less lost in the world. Pas sighed, releasing a great deal of the tension in his body, and rested his head on the lioness' shoulder.
"Thanks Teh," he told her quite seriously. "I'm glad you'll stay with me. It makes me feel like I won't be lost forever." It wasn't exactly "I love you", but he was a little worried to be making that declaration. Yet. He knew how he felt, he was pretty sure how she felt. He just wasn't ready to say it aloud.
Yet.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:40 pm
"It would be wrong to leave you, after all, you're the reason I have my name." Teh was convinced that without Pas, she would have never stumbled upon her own name. To leave him now would be to betray all the aid he had given her over the course of their travels. Sure, she was often making sure he didn't get lost, and that they had enough food and water to survive, but he had given her just as much in return as she had given him. His company had brought her hope and relief, and a little piece of home when she had none.
This place had given her the name she had been searching for, but she was beginning to believe that it would not bestow the same gift upon Pas. But, perhaps it would give him another gift altogether. "How about we set off tomorrow morning, and go looking for your name?" While this place was beautiful, it had no more meaning if it couldn't give Pas the name he was desperately searching for. Teh would once again lead the way for them, because no matter what, she wasn't going to be pried from the lion's side so soon.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:48 pm
He...he was? She really believed that? Nothing Pas saw seemed to support that...but looking into Susu'mimiteh's eyes, he had to believe that she meant it. Which was...rather amazing. He'd never once imagined he could have that kind of effect on...anything! The lion was also aware of how dependent he was on Teh just to head in the same direction from one moment to the next. The fact that she didn't begrudge him that at all was...remarkable.
"If anyone can lead me to my name, it's you, because the spirits know I'd be lost without you," the white lion admitted to Teh. It was, after all, nothing more than the truth that Pas couldn't find anything except prey. Which said nothing for finding his way back after a successful hunt, a feat that he'd been unable to perform.
"Sure. Let's go in the morning," he continued. "But first...maybe a bit more sleep?" the male added plaintively, referring to the fact that it was the middle of the night and Teh had woken him up rather abruptly to tell him the good news.
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Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:00 pm
Teh smiled, thinking that even with her around Pas had a tendency to get lost. It was only a minor hindrance, really. All Teh had to do was keep a vigilant eye on him, and she wouldn't lost track of him and he wouldn't lose track of himself. "Well, I'm certainly going to try and help you find it." She honestly believed that it would be okay if they didn't, because at least they were together. If they couldn't return home because he couldn't discover his name, then so be it. But, she also didn't believe destiny wouldn't play out that way for them.
"Oh," and Teh flushed underneath her pelt with embarrassment. She did kind of wake up Pas up in the middle of the night to announce that she had found her name. "Yeah, let's get some sleep," Teh answered bashfully. But, she didn't apologize for waking Pas up in the middle of the night. It was for a very good reason, after all. The young lioness nodded her head, and laid down to think about the night's events, and eventually drift off to sleep.
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