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 Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:27 pm
 There was something to be said for life going to plan - or rather, there was something to be said for life not trying to massacre your entire pride. Though the tsunami and its effects had long since been repaired, she still had memories of a time when they had truly struggled. Whatever the formal royals had done to the pride, they had done enough to cause such fury that the gods had essentially demanded they start again.
The entire pride had almost been wiped out and to this day, many had never been found.
Still, once the land had been cleansed, those who remained and those who had joined them had performed what was tantamount to a miracle. They had begun to flourish again, and for the first time in as long as the elders could remember, the new royal line had new blood.
That's right, a King had finally produced heirs!
It seemed that things were most certainly on the up for the Bahari'mtoto and so long as they and their royal family ensured the gods remained satisfied with the manner in which the pride functioned, they would stay as such. It had been quite some time since Zephyr had felt this positive - hell, credit where it was due she was damn well impressed by what their new king had achieved.
New royal blood? Check.
New allies? Check.
An openess towards further alliances? Absolutely.
All things considered, there was something to be said for the changes the 'outlander' had made upon his arrival. While he might have carried distant royal blood, he was enough of a breath of fresh air to have successfully attracted much needed positivity and life to the pride.
It was for that reason that the pink lioness had grown accustomed to the fact that she regularly saw new faces joining, visiting, or simply passing through.
...No doubt today would bring much the same!
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:56 pm
 Kobe had always been drawn to the ocean. Even in the past five years of wandering alongside his brother, he made a point to explore the coast every couple months. And despite his efforts to drag Maji with him, his younger brother didn't share the same fondness for the salt-water air. The eldest of the two knew, in the back of his mind, that a part of him wanted to join the Bahari'mtoto with the naive hope that one day he'd find his mother again. He recalled as a cub hearing stories of the Bahari lions and their curly manes. Never would he have expected for himself to be among them.
Life at present in the Bahari was relatively present. His neighbors, for the most part, had been friendly and informative. Though few desired to dwell on the struggles of their past, especially with strangers. It would be startling to the leopard spotted male to uncover the similarities of what the Bahari had endured and his former pride, the Simbafutaji. They'd been founded by his parents before he was born, as a place for wayward lions to rest amidst their travels.
The Simbafutaji was a paradise... for a time. It was possible that he was too young to recall the details, or maybe it was self preservation to bury the memories, but whatever happened... whatever they had experienced, shattered their pride at its core, sending each of the members in separate directions to build their lives anew. The Bahari, with their new leadership and royal cubs, was his fresh start.
As homage to his former pride, he took on the role as a builder in the Bahari. Formerly a crafter, now responsible for carving out dens for new members to claim. In addition, he offered services to inspect the stability of existing dens for safety purposes. Certain clays and rock materials provided more strength and reliability. With new cubs, safety was paramount.
Exiting a neighbor's den and beginning to take a path back toward his own, he spotted the unfamiliar - and gorgeous - lioness nearby. The pale grey male found himself at a loss for words, stopped dead in his tracks.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 3:12 pm
"Oh hunny, no..." Zephyr drawled as she caught sight of the otherwise star struck Lion.
It wasn't Kobe's fault, she knew this, but she had grown accustomed to the newer additions to their pride stumbling over their paws at the sight of her. She had her mother to thank for that, she came from a good lineage even if her mother had been given grief by the elders for her lack of a mate when she came birth. That was another thing Zephyr had been most grateful for; the fact that their new King had snuffed out the flames of intolerance in such a swift motion had been something she would always honour him for.
For a while the startled expressions had been a source of amusement, but now? Well now she could only roll her eyes and offer them a delicate pat on the head while they found their tongues and regained their senses.
"I really don't have enough herbs in my pouch to jolt you out of any stupors today, it's been a while since I went out to get something quite so potent," she added and swept towards him with her usual grace. She hadn't had the pleasure of introducing herself to this one, but he was most certainly a very new face... he couldn't have been here for long at all. That in mind, she raised her paw and tapped his chin first to the left, then to the right as she inspected his features.
"At most I can offer you a hefty slap, that would be the equivalent treatment," the herbalist added and smirked.
"What's your name, Outlander?" she asked.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 3:42 pm
Kobe should have snapped out of it when he noticed the purple lioness meet his gaze. Her bright blue eyes were a welcome contrast to the cool, purple colored fur which covered her. He had his opportunity to come to on her way over, but the slight tilt of his head indicated he was mulling over something - perhaps the curious sea shell piercing at her ear. It was a rather bold statement.
Unfortunately, it was only when her paws literally touched his cheeks that he realized he'd been staring, like a buffoon, for a good, long and awkward moment. An embarrassed smile crept at the edge of his mouth as she gave him the once over. A nervous chuckle followed when she made mention of slaps and potent herbs.
"You're an... herbalist then?" He asked in a desperate attempt to break his uncomfortable silence. It wasn't quite the answer to her question, but the poor male was stumbling to regain his metaphorical footing. Fill the silence with words! He mentally chided himself.
"I'm Kobe," He spent only a bit of time wondering how it were so obvious to pick him apart from the natives. Something to work on, for sure, but nothing he could go about fixing in the immediate future. "New builder for the pride. I've only arrived a couple days ago." He'd hoped that might explain his horrible and impolite behavior. Really, five years travelling in only the company of his younger brother was more likely to blame for that.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 3:52 pm
"Well slap my backside and call it fluffy, he's back!" she chimed merrily and clucked her tongue. She afforded him the opportunity to stumble over his words for a time, he was at least entitled to recover before she made him suffer more. "Ladies and gents, we have ourselves an almost fully functioning adult male here - if you would all look to your left you can observe as the light returns to his eyes and he has some level of sentience!" She turned dramatically to the plantlife as though she was providing a tour before offering a wry smile.
"Yes, I'm a herbalist," she finally put him out of his misery and chuckled. "One of the Hlare in the pride, though we're quite a rare bunch," she clucked her tongue and swept away from him again to nosily inspect the handiwork of what may very well have been his own home.
It was almost as though she was going to criticise it, but hopefully to his relief, she wasn't quite that impish.
"Name's Zephyranthes, but the vast majority tend to call me Zephyr," she added and returned her attention to him. A raised brow was soon to follow as she regarded him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Outlander... But I do hope you don't startle at every pretty female as we've a fair few of them and you'll never get any work done if you're aspiring to be a living statue.."
"And I'll be honest the Bumani have a lot of work, you'll end up with a backlog if you aren't careful." She smirked.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 4:17 pm
Kobe's pale coloration afforded Zephyr the satisfaction of seeing a touch of pink reach his cheeks. Almost fully functioning was right on the money as the spotted male nervously swished his tail behind him. He'd just about entirely humiliated himself in his new company and wasn't quite as smooth as Maji in making repairs of his mess. When Zephyr made a point to address the plants in their surroundings, he couldn't hold back a light and self-deprecating chuckle.
"Ah, rare," He made a mental note about the herbalist position. As a very recent addition to the pride he still had quite a bit of learning to do. While there might have been more questions about the herbalist position at the tip of his tongue, her curious peek into the nearby den brought him back to the current moment. The sudden breath he released when she said nothing brought to light the fact that he was probably holding his breath in preparation.
Outlander. The name struck him more deeply when it was used the second time.
"That's a mouthful," He blurted out before wincing at what might be perceived as an insult. "Zephyr it is."
Here he was, the low man on the totem pole consulting with a confident, adult female who knew her way around the pride. Better yet, she held an esteemed position of herbalist. The raised eyebrow was disarming on its own before she gave him a solid warning about pretty ladies and work loads.
"Hopefully not," He started to answer with another light chuckle. "The folks here seem to be a forgiving lot. I hope the learning curve is to be expected." While he still had adjustments to make in his social life, the work he did was solid and precise.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 4:29 pm
"Yes, exceedingly rare," she raised her paw and wiggled the fingers at him with a mild chuckle. "Very few of our pride members seem to have much of an appreciation for the medicinal properties of plants, nor their more precarious nature either. Most stick to seaweed bandages that the healers toss their way -" she wiggled her nose thoughtfully and lowered her paw again. "They all tend to forget that the pulpice is made by our fabulous paws!"
"I think the majority of them think we're just gardeners and since they all hate vegetables..." she clearly had a sense of humour as she tailed off. "Wait until the day we don't go out into our gardens and they run out of things to dull the pain of their aching muscles after a hard week of work, that'll show them... hope the healers know how to give a good massage."
She paused.
"Actually that would probably be a phenomenal idea from a matchmaking point of view," she waggled her eyebrows impishly. "Shame those meddling individuals don't exist in the ranks, we should absolutely persuade the King of the advantages of having them," she continued before casting her gaze back towards him. His reference to the level of patience and understanding the Bumani had was something she appreciated, if there was one thing the Bahari were good at, it was that.
"You know that's all just a ruse right?" she sounded serious. "Lulling you in to a false sense of security and then when you least expect it they're going to audit your work and demand you knock down a supporting wall so it's more 'open plan'," she widened her eyes as though she might be horrified by the thought.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 4:57 pm
Kobe listened thoughtfully to the female as she intermingled jokes with informative tidbits about the pride. "I think there's something to be said for individuals able to provide such important and thankless work to their peers. While you may not be the face I see when I inevitably seek a healer for my own aches and pains, I will keep the work you do in mind. Those skills are invaluable to any pride and I am certain your work is appreciated."
The hilarious proposal of incorporating massage into the ranks drew an amused expression from the cool colored male. "Is that something I can sign up for? I have been working hard on dens..." He was mostly joking. That it'd probably work for matchmaking was something he only silently agreed with.
"Well, if they'd listened to my original open and sustainable floor plan we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place!" He countered with a little more confidence than he'd shown before. For the most part, Kobe appeared to be a warm and friendly sort. Even in his embarrassment he took the jokes in stride.
"More seriously, I also understand the importance which comes with my work. I wouldn't put anybody into a den I did not feel would be safe. Though, if I fail to meet the standards of those of higher rank, I can assure you that i'll be up for all hours of the night making those required repairs and modifications." He had a solid work ethic... or someone to impress.
"Can I ask what it is that keeps you busy outside your work? Any recommendations for someone new to the area?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 5:08 pm
"Hey now, I'm sure there's one or two strong, burly lions that might crack your back for you," she smirked and shook her head. No doubt some of the younger generation would be on board with the idea but she had a feeling it would simply lead to more pain relief and more healer visits due to accidental injuries. Entertaining as the idea might be, she didn't think she could source enough herbs for all those pulled shoulders and sprains.
Oooh but she could absolutely tease and otherwise torture them with some 'sympathetic' coos. She was quite good at those.
Yep, she had no bedside manner.
Ah, but what did she do to pass the time when she wasn't working? She raised both eyebrows thoughtfully and then pursed her lips. Had she ever given it much thought as to what her normal day entailed? Typically, she just did her thing and then slept - actually didn't anyone really know what they did from day to day, that was like asking her what she'd had for breakfast yesterday...
"You know I'm not even going to lie," she said finally and shrugged her shoulders. "I do whatever I want at the time," she continued. "If I wanna get a little hazy I head over to the Kizi, they do great drinks. If I want to gamble, I go talk to the baboons in the forest. Talk philosophy? Go find myself one of the old farts who likes to talk about the good ole days," she waggled both eyebrows.
"World is my oyster generally, only things I'm categorically not allowed to do is murder anyone no matter how much I think they might deserve it at the time," she finished.
"Why, you wondering if something is taboo here or if you're good to go? Sweetie you wanna let your mane loose and streak down the beach singing at the top of your lungs about the joys of manhood you can probably do that -"
She paused.
"Well, provided their are no cubs around I guess."
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 5:26 pm
Kobe made a face that very clearly indicated he hadn't meant for big, burly lions to be stepping on his back. He followed up with another laugh. At least this far in the conversation he was a happy mixture of amused and embarrassed by his earlier behavior.
It hadn't been clear whether Kobe was looking for recommendations for someone new or simply an opportunity to learn more about the curious purple lioness. Either way, he hadn't really expected the list that Zephyr presented. Mysterious mixed drinks? Gambling with baboons? Philosophical conversations? "I think you'd get on well with my brother," He admitted. "Maji said something about the Kizingo the other day. I take it that relations between your two prides are pretty open then?" This seemed to be something asked for his own benefit.
With a pointed paw and mock-weary expression, he commented in a relieved voice, "Lucky for those rules against murder! Man, subtle threats of death. The knowledge to poison or immobilize your enemies..." With something close to a playful expression, he went on. "If you're trying to keep me away, you'll have to do better than that. Maybe five years of wandering has made me lonely, but I'll take the risk of death for quality company."
Wandering a little farther down toward the water, he gestured with his head for her to follow if she'd like. "You get in the water much?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 1:20 am
"They stole a few of our cubs one year in a desperate attempt to get new blood into their own dying pride," she replied smoothly. "It almost caused a war, but a peace was brokered - we both needed each other to survive so our borders became open to one another," she clucked her tongue as she followed after him towards the water. After all, she had gotten this curly hair somehow and it wasn't just courtesy of the sea air!
"Now the Kizingo'zaa and Bahari'mtoto are free to mingle as they choose, we have to respect one another's traditions when we enter each pride's territory but they are the closest allies I have," she continued. She seemed to find that to be a fitting explanation, and failed to mention that she had been a bargaining chip for the year it had taken to solidify the agreements. Nevertheless, the Kizingo'zaa lions now had exclusive access to the Bahari'mtoto and were permitted to marry them if they wished.
Some Kizingo'zaa traditions however, were not permitted.
While the Kizi may have been party animals, the Bahari'mtoto continued to live by more traditional views when it came to a family unit!
"Not that we aren't open to more allies, we simply haven't met any to breach the subject yet," she confessed. "But your brother didn't follow you?" she mused. "At least he'll always have a good place to kick his paws up when he visits then."
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 1:55 pm
"Ah," Kobe answered with a slow nod. Stealing cubs was certainly a curious start to any alliance, but he figured enough time had passed between the prides to ease whatever tension had been built. If an unlikely alliance could prevent what had happened to the Simba from happening to either the Bahari or Kizingo, it had to be a worthwhile relationship to maintain.
"You seem to know quite a bit about what happened," He commented with a glance back to Zephyr. If she cared to elaborate on that point, it was entirely left to her discretion. "I figure Maji can get me updated if he makes the official move to join, but any traditions of the Kizingo that come to mind for a new stranger who might pass through? Probably better to be aware of these things before I make an idiot of myself there..."
Kobe's tone became more serious at the question regarding his brother. The male lion shook his head lightly to indicate that his brother hadn't followed him. "He didn't, no." It was evident by the way his eyes didn't meet hers that the subject was one which upset him. "But you're right. Relations between the two prides seem solid and he'd be close enough to visit." That was... if Maji settled into the Kazingo.
With another shake of his coat, he began to pace along the water's edge, purple eyes searching for something. After a quick search, he seemed to come across the perfect piece of driftwood tucked into a bit of foliage. Maneuvering it out with his teeth, he tested it out with his sturdy paws. "I haven't tried this since I was a cub..."
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 2:50 pm
"That would be because I was there," she was matter-of-fact when it happened to necessary. "I was also there when the deal was brokered and the initial terms set," she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "I'm not as young and sprightly as I might look," she pointed out gently and shook her head. Perhaps in time she would elaborate further on that fateful day; it had certainly been one that had caused many to hold their breath.
...It had also been one of the most defining moments of her pride's current history. She would have been so bold as to say that it may have been the very one that set them on such a favourable course.
"As for the traditions of the Kizi," she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Their names are not what they say they are, you will be given one name and their true names are secret. It isn't something to take personally, it is simply how their culture is -" she smiled after a few moments. "They also love revelry and mischief, again, do not take their games personally should you be subject to the impish nature of a cub or three..."
A pause followed.
"There is...also a cave there, that our King strongly advises that all Bahari'mtoto avoid, though there are those in the Kizi who seem to stick to it like tar. It causes..." she frowned and shook her head. "Hallucinations, I guess? The symptoms are similar but it seems to be a nod back to their passed in which a large portion of them were afflicted with some sort of mental disturbance. While the majority are no longer afflicted, that cave is said to cause similar affects and we would prefer no one from here was struck down by such an illness."
She wasn't to know that the effects of the cave were temporary, only capable of effecting those who remained in its vicinity, but she and many others knew better than to test it.
Nevertheless...
"What on earth are you doing?" she said finally as he tested out the piece of driftwood he had found.
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2016 4:50 pm
It wasn't bad that Kobe happened across one of the longer standing natives who was familiar with the recent alliance that had been built. Kobe listened with curiosity and tucked each piece of information away for future reference should it become needed again. "Good to know," He shared with a slow nod.
When Zephyr went on to relay various traditions and secrets of the Kizingo'zaa, the pale colored lion considered them with a wry smile. "The more you talk about them, the more I wonder if Maji came from there in the first place," It was something of a joke, but perhaps in poor taste with the recent talk of cub stealing. "He was something of a... trickster when we were younger. Pain in the a**, if i'm honest." Despite speaking poorly of his brother, the words were laced with fondness.
The light mood and jokes were shrugged off as soon as the female lioness made mention of mental illness among the lions of the Kizingo. "Oh," His voice was lower now. Perhaps concerned that such excitement and risk would be exactly the thing to draw his brother to the pride more permanently. As much of an adrenaline junkie as Kobe was, he had better limits than his younger sibling. "...You say the majority are no longer afflicted? Did they ever know what caused it? The first time?"
Kobe had paused in his movements with the driftwood, but the question of what he was doing drew him back to the moment. With a glance down to his paw, a wide smile returned to his muzzle. "Ah. This? I'm gonna try to--" He took one end in his mouth and began to run as quickly as he could down the edge of the beach until he was paddling into the water with the driftwood floating up near the surface. Once it was deep enough, he pulled himself upright on its surface so he could lay belly-down and paddle even farther into the waves.
"It's been awhile so you'll need to--" So much for first impressions. A large wave crashed down earlier than expected and the pale lion was pulled beneath the water's surface. Everything went still as Kobe had vanished from view.
At the point where they may have been some concern, the leopard-spotted male broke the still water with a wild gasp, followed by laughter. "I lost the board!" He shouted up to Zephyr at the shore. Between catching his breath, he went on, "We can-" He took another breath, while he paddled back to the shore. "Find another." On the sandy beach again, he shook out his coat. There was a new energy about him, a sense of excitement.Epine de Rose Sorry for delay. I got sick with the flu! T.T
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Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2016 1:00 pm
Kieko Don't worry about it! I usually get pulled away by life as well so I don't hold it against anyone. xD
That aside, she already knew that the type of King the Bahari now had, also made it highly likely that in the future there would be more alliances and more visitors in the future. He had lived so long in the rogue lands that he had learnt many invaluable lessons there, ensuring they had strong allies and more open borders towards such prides, was one of them.
"As for the affliction," she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm truly not sure, I would be happy to ask if it was ever necessary to understand it from the standpoint of the Bahari's future, but the Kizingo'zaa have kept a firm hold on it," she smiled and shook her head. "It could be anything, it could be divine...the air in the cave, plants, who knows?"
She settled in to silence at this point and merely watched as he demonstrated what the board was for. Unsurprisingly, her nose creased into an expression of confusion and remained that way as he disappeared under the water. It was surfing of course, but she had not been one to participate in that, to her it simply looked like he was attempting to dive.
"If you want to dive, there are sand bars further out?" she offered in amusement, though she did look round in an attempt to locate another appropriately sized piece of driftwood.
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