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 Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 6:52 am
 Oh, where did he go? For such a bright little thing, Yu was strangely easy to lose at times. They’d been traveling for a while now, venturing together after the little bird had decided that it was in his best interest to stay with her. (She didn’t mind, it was lonely being by herself sometimes, and not many people were willing to stay with her) But sometimes he got a little too curious and would take off on his own. Which usually left her trying to track him down.
And she was never the best tracker in the world.
With a sigh, Xing swept her gaze across the expanse of sand in front of her. Her yellow fur practically glowed in the sun, and she had to admit that the warmth was a welcome guest. She could see the appeal in exploring these lands. There was a pride stationed in the area though, and all she could do was hope that she wasn’t intruding too far into their territory. Stepping on anyone’s toes was the last thing she wanted to do. If she did... well, she had heard that they were a relatively friendly group.
She groaned when her paws sunk into the sand. Well, it was a paradise aside from this. She wasn’t a huge fan of the sand. It got between her toes and stuck to her fur in ways she wasn’t comfortable with. She was pretty sure Yu’s scent headed this way though, and if she wanted to find her companion, then she needed to trek across the coast. With careful steps, Xing plodded resignedly forward.
The snapping of a twig nearby made her freeze. Fluffy ears flicked about, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. Was she being watched? Or was there another creature lounging about in the trees? Was she too far into this pride’s lands? She hadn’t meant to! Oh no, was she being stalked?! Hunted!?!?
Tail curling around her leg, Xing huddled down and stuttered in a squeak of a voice, “He-hello?”
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:36 am
 He cast his gaze towards the monkey with a decidedly unimpressed expression on his features. He'd been in perfect reverie, with only the sound of the waves to lull him into a deeper meditative state... and then the damn creature had decided that it would (as usual) be entertaining to make a nuisance of itself. It was par for the course in this region, he had realised as much the more he had stayed here. While the Bahari'mtoto was an enjoyable retreat and they had cared for him admirably during his stay... That didn't mean they weren't without their faults - not that they had many, but dear gods, he'd begun to dislike their monkeys.
It was this monkey's decision to snap several twigs in order to distract him that started off a chain of unavoidable events. Clearly a visitor had been spooked, thus causing her to speak up, and in doing so...she had knocked him out of his revere. The twigs had served their purpose in the eyes of the monkey, but in the eyes of the lion, he was a decidedly less receptive. After all, the white lion had grown used to the quiet and had been given plenty of space to reflect upon his own issues... How could he possibly do that when he had individuals who sought to distract him or toss things at his head?
...Perhaps a new spot was required, somewhere further away from the undergrowth and closer to the shoreline.
At least the crabs would stay out of his way, they generally did to avoid being eaten!
"Your fear is unwarranted in this region," he said finally, perhaps with a touch of exasperation in his voice. He made no attempt to move from his spot, but he did at the very least turn his gaze towards the source of the sound and the golden lioness herself. "You are in no danger here, it isn't in their blood."MangoMeow Weird your quote was fine, the only difference was the "" looked weird. I guess Gaia believes quotation marks can look different!
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:44 am
Despite already being tensed up, Xing still startled at the voice. In her defense, she was expecting an attack, and it was a miracle she didn't scream at the sound. She did, however, whip around to face the other lion.
A moment of silence followed, before his words finally registered and the fur on the back of her neck began to lay flat again. He wasn't... doing anything. Just sitting there, and between that and his calm voice, she was beginning to realize that maybe she wasn't in danger like she'd thought. "O-oh..." Well, that was embarrassing. She felt herself go warm under her fur, shuffling in the sand before grimacing at the feel of the tiny grains going further between her claws. It was going to be massively unpleasant to clean later.
Focusing back on the bright lion, she tilted her head curiously, wondering what he was doing now that she was no longer in any danger.... Well, she was pretty sure she wasn't in danger. She probably shouldn't let down her guard though, she thought with a cautious glance around her.
Xing shook her head to bring herself back on topic. She also did not want to come off as rude, so she should probably say something. Although, he already seemed exasperate. Did she interrupt his... sitting? Oh wait, maybe he had been meditating or dozing or something, and her terror had disrupted it.
Oops.
Well now she felt guilty too. An ear tilting to the side of her head, the yellow lioness glanced down at her paws as she searched for a reply, before looking back up at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you." Oh, but maybe he has seen Yu, assuming he'd been awake. She should ask, but she didn't want to impose.... Better to get it over with, then. "Um... you wouldn't happen to have seen a small gold bird, would you?" Epine de Rose Huh, that's really strange. I'm going to be triple-checking my tags now. xD;;
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Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 1:41 pm
"You would be one of the first," Spectre replied simply as she made an attempt to apologise. Truth be told, his treatment resulted in frequent visits from a number of rather specialised carers. Consequently, she wouldn't be the first or last person to disrupt whatever moment he might be taking to himself - she would however, be one of the first who hadn't intentionally done so. There was a difference, though she was unlikely to appreciate that in the given circumstances.
"An apology is unwarranted," he added, aware that several individuals had required clarity in the past. As a rogue, she could very well be one of those who required such obvious cues, whereas others in certain prides didn't necessarily need them. Such was the way of things, and even now he was beginning to recover fragments of the past that made this realisation so much more prominent. In certain regions, these prides and their cultures were much more nuanced, one simply had to work out how to read them.
...As a rogue, she could not be read just yet, she was a wild card.
However she had posed another question and he afforded her a short stare as he considered whether or not anything of that description had passed by. Around his vicinity, there had been no disturbance, but around the presence of others? Well there might have been a chance.
"While I have not seen anyone I may be able to locate someone who would be more accustomed to spotting unusual activity," he said at last and tilted his head to the side. "If you would prefer, I may be able to provide you with an introduction so that you might locate your companion more swiftly..."
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:53 am
Oh good, he didn't seem too annoyed with her. He was certainly a calm one, not forceful or jittery or mean like some other lions she's come across, and it was helping to soothe her nerves. Still, she didn't want to step on his toes too much. He was offering to help, which was more than what she could normally expect, and having an actual lion from this local pride would likely mean that she wouldn't be attacked or harassed. She could find Yu and be on her way, perhaps even leave with good relations here.
That thought in mind, Xing started to nod, but then slowed in uncertainty. "Are you sure? I don't want to interrupt you." Despite the reassurances it would provide, she also didn't want to be rude. She looked around, "He's also pretty noticeable." She snorted, "Not just in looks, I mean. He can be loud. You probably would have heard him had he gone by."
Pausing, the golden furred lioness finally decided to ask, "May I ask what you're doing, by the way?" It was partially in curiosity and partially to make polite conversation. She hoped she didn't seem like she was prying.
She was also rather hoping that her luck wouldn't run out again. Bad things tended to happen around her, and she didn't want to involve him in that as well.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:00 am
"It is a little late for that," Spectre pointed out softly as she made reference to interruptions. He had been thoroughly disturbed to the point that it was unlikely he would be able to settle for a short while yet. He'd sooner move anyway, if they saw him moving then they would feel less inclined to intervene. Something about his sudden lapse into inactivity had given rise for concern among several of those keeping watch over his health and while they conceded that on occasions he needed the time to reflect...they didn't agree with it being a constant activity.
This would buy him some time; not much, but it would be enough.
"Unfortunately his description meets that of many of those who live here," Spectre's brow lifted and he pulled himself to his paws in a single, graceful movement. Despite his rather hulking size, he seemed capable of walking lightly, something that all those in his profession had the capacity to do. "Loud, both in looks and demeanour," he shook his head. "Though rarely rude, just exceedingly enthusiastic..."
He'd seen a few of the cubs as of late and they had let everyone know they were here.
As to what he was doing...
"Reflecting," he replied simply and motioned for her to follow, soon making his way back towards the more central regions of the pride. He'd find a guard or two there relaxing, worst case scenario they point them in the direction of those who were on duty.
"How does one lose a companion so colourful?" he added; if she aimed to pry, he could return the favour.
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Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2017 11:30 am
So they were all loud and colorful? Well, that didn't bode well for finding her friend, but she supposed that at the very least, it would be easier to see one of these pride lions before they saw her. She hoped he was right about them being friendly towards her, and she paused as she realized that this could easily be a trap too..... But then, he didn't seem the type to do that.
Shuffling closer to him, Xing pondered over what he could be reflecting about. It must have been something very deep, to come out of it so calmly. She felt her heart sink in guilt, not meaning to pull him away like that, but if he insisted on moving on, she couldn't really say no. Also, she was too embarrassed over her previous freak-out to want to push the matter.
She cleared her throat, hoping to move past her thoughts to focus on his next question. How did she lose him? Well.....
"Yu is... normally very loud, but sometimes he will decide to take off on his own." Wait, this was starting to sound like she was controlling him, "To explore, I mean." She sighed, recalling their conversation the previous night of wanting to see the beach, and Xing's misgivings about encroaching on a pride's lands. She had been against the idea. He had insisted that it would be fine. And they'd gone to bed deciding to make that decision in the morning.
Well, apparently Yu had made the decision for her. He had to know that she would come looking for him. Which probably meant he'd gone fairly far in, and was just waiting for her to catch up.
With a grunt as she stumbled in the sand, the yellow lioness continued, "He wanted to see what he could find here. Meet new people, and such." She grimaced, "I've... learned to be wary of other lions, but I guess he decided that I was being silly. And now I have to find him, because I'm sure he won't come back until I do."
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Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2017 1:47 pm
"You are wise to be cautious if you lack the information necessary to make an educated guess," Spectre pointed out. He knew of one or two individuals who would happily delve in to any location and end up in trouble. It did nothing for their reputation and it certainly did nothing for those individuals who had to recover them. His own profession, and his comrades aside, there were few in the world who could really be trusted to explore unknown regions and be trusted to survive in the process...whether they encountered peaceful or violent entities was irrelevant.
Spectre could surmise from her very demeanour that she was not someone who could hold her own against a multitude of attackers and thus, he would do nothing more than applaud her for her wise decision. The Bahari'mtoto might have been one of the most peaceful prides in this region, but for one who was new to this part of the world this would have been a piece of information that was completely unknown to them.
How would they know that this place was safe?
...Particularly when a short jaunt from this coastal paradise, the Stormborn lay in wait. It was luck of the draw on that patch of land, you either needed to have the capacity to defend yourself, or you needed to hope that you met someone who wasn't interested in finding themselves another thrall to play with. He made a note to caution her on that one at the very least, she could choose to approach them if she wanted, but perhaps if she had that knowledge at her disposal then she might be able to discourage this friend of her's from wandering off on an adventure that really would put them in an awkward spot.
"That being said, there is something to be said for having a little courage as well," he shook his head as he drifted further in to the pridal territory where those who were off duty were likely to be lazing about. "If you were going to be harmed, it is likely it would have happened by now," he shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "You are in the Bahari'mtoto pride and they really don't enjoy violence, perhaps you will see that for yourself in due time..."
She wouldn't have to wait long for that though, as he came near the central cove and the rock pools. Here and there lay packs of lions in all manner of forms, from sunbathing, conversing, to simple games. What was clear however, was that they were accustomed to strangers in their midst as not a single one seemed to cease their chatter to turn and inspect the yellow lioness.
"Do you see him here?" he asked after a moment or two. If he had been seeking lions this certainly would have been one of the best places to find them. If not, well, they would simply ask one of those nearby... Spectre didn't mind intruding when there was a reason to do so.
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Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 5:37 pm
Xing's ears bashfully flattened against her head at his words. She wasn't sure she would ever call herself wise, but it was flattering nonetheless. As for courage.... even she would admit that she should probably work on that, especially given her status as a rogue, but it has never been in her nature to be bold. Perhaps he had a point though, and perhaps she should be a little more... adventurous. But only a small amount. She wasn't sure her heart would be able to take anything more. She would have to give it some thought later.
For now though, she hummed in response. The Bahari'mtoto.... the name was familiar. She might have heard of it in her travels before. They sounded like a pride that she would get along with, and if it weren't for the sand, she would probably consider making this her home. It was driving her nuts though, so unused to it as she was, and she was looking forward to leaving. Perhaps she would at least meet with a few of them though, if only to see if he was right.
Which may end up happening sooner than she thought, as they rounded the corner to come face to face with the pride. She tensed up, ready to bolt at the first sign of hostility, but they simply ignored them. She scanned the crowd, slowly letting her fur smooth back down as she did so, but was disappointed when she didn't spot the little bird anywhere. A quick glance through the trees confirmed that as well. With a mournful shake of her head, Xing sighed, "No, I don't." Unfortunately, that meant that they would probably have to ask one of the natives below now, and that was a thought that left her gulping and shuffling just a bit closer to the male.
Who, she just realized, she didn't actually know the name of. God, she was being remarkably rude, wasn't she? First she interrupted him from his thoughts, then she pulled him away to help her search, and now she hadn't even introduced herself. But she did appreciate the aid. He wasn't unpleasant company, and she was grateful to meet someone kind enough to help. In that aspect, she already had met someone good within these lands.
... She wondered if he would mind helping her just a bit longer. He was a comfortable presence - a quiet, calm one that soothed her nerves - and she truly would prefer to stick around someone she at least somewhat knew.
Clearing her throat, she took a side-long glance back at him, "Would.... would you mind coming with me to ask if any of them have seen him? I don't..." She paused uncertainly, "I'm not very good at... approaching people like that." She shuffled a paw in front of her, "My name is Xing, by the way. Sorry, I didn't think to introduce myself before."Epine de Rose Poor, uncertain Xing. Want to end this one off in the next post or two?
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:01 am
Of course it wouldn't be as simple as tracking someone down to the busiest areas of the pride; he should have known from the very beginning that while it was logical to check for a social creature in the most busy area of the pride, the bird clearly had other ideas. Admittedly, Spectre had a sneaking suspicion that he was here somewhere, he just wasn't immediately visible against the sand. With that in mind, it seemed like the only other option was to be sociable, even for him.
...Wonderful.
"Spectre," he said simply as he strode forward and towards one or two of the faces that he recognised. If he was going to stick around, and he somehow now seemed obligated to do so, he was going to start with the easier individuals and work his way round. Hopefully they would find the bird before either of them had to encounter some of the louder and much more boisterous individuals within the pride.
"We might as well start over here," he murmured and shook his head. "Hopefully those I know will have seen him and we can avoid any headaches..."MangoMeow I think it's coming to a good point to tail off at. <3 Can prolly close out on Xing following behind him to interview some of the other peeps.
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Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:26 pm
It took her a moment to realize he'd started walking, distracted as she was with combing the crowd for Yu. When she did, Xing jolted and padded quickly after him. She didn't want to fall behind, not among so many unknown lions! When she had caught back up with him, she nodded slowly, "Hopefully...." The less interaction she had to have, the better. And it seemed like he shared her opinion on that front, though she imagined it was for different reasons than herself. Regardless, she was grateful for the help.
Honestly, the trouble Yu had put her through today.... She was going to give him a piece of her mind, when she found him!
Maybe.
... If she managed to build enough confidence to confront him about it.... She'd see how she felt then.Epine de Rose Sorry for the delay in this end post!
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