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 Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 2:06 pm
 He hadn't been here for very long, but one thing he was sure of was how much he enjoyed it here. The pride brought him a lovely sense of peace that he was just never quite able to find back home. The place of his birth was a unique one, and one he'd never be far from at heart, But in reality, in his reality, it was too overbearing. Much too loud, and as much as he loved his family it just wasn't right for a quiet soul like him..
Here though, he could stretch his paws in the silver sand, just like home, but with different sand! He could listen to the ocean around him, very much unlike home. And he hoped at least, that someday he could be free to be himself here. That is to say, the quiet, out of sorts giant that he was. So far he seemed to be among like minded individuals. There was the ever so quiet scribes, and the gentle crystal healers, both of which he found quite fascinating in their own ways.
Scribes for being such delicate individuals with a vast knowledge of the world around them, and healers for their special touch and gentle words.
He sort of pictured himself as a healer, but he knew he had a long way to go before he was capable of corresponding with others on that personal level.
For now though, he was content to lie on the beach, watching the sun rise with his large paws buried in the silky cool sand.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 2:30 pm
Samedi's strikingly bright yellow eyes darted around within his pelted skull, looking around at all the borders that this rather secluded pride had. Not only were they cut off from most of the mainland by these slick rocks that seemed to cage them in, but they had the ocean on the other side, not so much as even a dot of land being visible off in the distance. Granted, it was rather foggy, pretty much all the time, so something could be out there. The weather here seemed to always have a gray haze to it, with the very rare days that it did not. While possibly depressing to most lions, Sam was not one of them. He rather enjoyed it. It was cool and comforting, unlike most of Africa. With his dark pelt that loved to absorb the sun's rays, a foggy place like this was a blessing.
Taking a quiet patrol as the sun began to rise over the sea, the skull masked male noticed a white male a little ways away from him, just staring out at sea. He recognized the male's pelt but couldn't place the name. He was rather bad with remembering who everyone was, especially since so many had already banded together. Walking a bit closer to the white lion, he gently spoke, so as not to startle him. "Good morning."
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 2:43 pm
As the cool morning air blew gently across his pelt, Jellyfish could feel the tensions in his body just ease away. Something he'd never been able to allow happen back home. It seemed no matter where he was back home, someone was doing something ... exciting? That's what they called it at least. Truthfully he much preferred the solace of a cool morning breeze to the crazy tumbling and adventuring that his siblings did.
Just the simple things.
It was something he'd heard many other lions say before, but he'd never really understood their simple pleasures. For him this was as simple as it could get. There was no drama, no confrontation, no ... noise. Just him, the ocean, and the breeze.
He was rather enjoying himself, feeling his tense joints and muscles ease as he lie there, when everything began to crash down around him.
It had been a simple gesture, a non threatening compliment to his morning.
But he'd been unable to take it as such, much as he was with most interactions. He could the cool breeze begin to bead the sweat under his pelt as he turned his attentions to the voice.
Stammering as he tried to respond back, it was apparent from anyone examining the situation that something wasn't quite right with the brighter pelted male.
"M-morning? Oh, yeah! Morning!" His tone got a bit erratic and out of place as he tried to bring his reaction to something a little more fitting of how he was raised. But it just wasn't in the cards on this 'good morning' as the other had put it. His little heart was beating against his chest and seemed to tighten as he pushed each word past his lips.
He wanted so badly to apologize to the new arrival for his strange antics,
but atop off the anxiety tightening in around him, he knew it would do no good to even try.
The other's impression of him had already been made and it wasn't going to be a pretty one.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 2:56 pm
Suddenly, the white male was... Odd. Kinda quirky? He suddenly seemed kind of anxious and Samedi couldn't really place... Why. All he had said was good morning, and not with a booming voice or anything. Deciding it was a good idea to stop in the silver sand where he was instead of venturing closer to the white lion, Sam raised a confused eyebrow. "Yes, it's morning. Have you been here all night or did you simply forget that the sun was rising while you stared at it?" There was his blunt tone again. Many didn't like it, but he didn't care. Why pussyfoot around what you were trying to say when you could just say it outright? That's how he looked at it anyway.
Awaiting the male's response, Samedi took a seat where he stood, the tip of his tail lying lazily in the small waves of the morning ocean.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 3:08 pm
There it was again, that peculiar look he was ever so familiar with. The one that other lions gave you when they didn't want to outright say 'The hell's wrong with you man?' It was a bit pathetic to say that such an unnatural glance was so commonplace with him, but when was he anything short of pathetic? His family loved him, and he'd always known that, despite his Mom insisting he didn't. But he'd never forget all the nagging and 'good natured' teasing they'd give him about just how different he was than the rest of them. This lion had their look plastered all over him.
Jellyfish could feel the anxiety as it pressed wells of tears against the back of his eyes. But as he'd grown to do, he'd refuse them passage. At least until he was alone again, then maybe he'd try to convince himself that was crying because he was homesick. But it wasn't ever really true.
Shaking his uneasy emotions away, he crinkled his eyes shut for a moment to try and bring his mind to the here and now. He couldn't sit in the past when he had someone sitting before him in the present. The past was for when you were alone, not when there was something on your doorstep.
As his eyes reopened, before he could readjust to that look of pity, the male's words hit his ears and his once fluffy ears now drooped in failure.
"N-no ...!" He managed to squabble out, as the back of his mind slowly echoed ... 'Well .. not entirely.'
It was true he had been here all night. He much preferred sleeping with the moonlight on his belly, than he did to sleeping in the caves. While the crystals kept him warm and at least somewhat at ease, the moonlight was more welcoming. It always had been.
But he had sort of lost track of what he was doing as he allowed his mind to wander. It wasn't really surprising, but maybe someone else would find it weird?
"I - I just .... forgot ..."
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 3:20 pm
"Ah, well, I suppose it can be easy to forget." Not really..., but Samedi told his mind to silence itself because he was kind of getting that vibe that this wasn't the time nor the place to be entirely speaking what his mind wanted to. He usually did, be he had learned that it was not the best of ideas in every situation. Most lions or creatures in general didn't enjoy blunt talk or behavior. They enjoy the sugar coating of it. Sam didn't understand why, but that was just the way the world seemed to work. This male was one of the few who didn't have that kind of filter. However, in this particular moment, he could tell quite easily that the opposing male was nothing but nerves and jitters. His eyes were even on the very edge of just pouring out tears, and that's not what Sam wanted, nor intended for when he first spoke.
Taking his gaze off of the white male and looking out at the rising sun, he breathed in deeply, inhaling the cool and salty smells of the ocean breeze. It was so relaxing and he wasn't sure he would ever get over it. "What's your name?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 3:52 pm
Though he had no idea that the other lion was holding back anything from him, it wouldn't have bothered him if he had. He'd been raised to not allow the words of others to hurt him. Which while wasn't an entirely effective teaching with the male, he acknowledged that his Mother wasn't ever really wrong. nor his Father for that matter.
He could however tell that perhaps the other wasn't entirely sure what he was dealing with. Perhaps it was the tone of his voice, or more just the words he spoke. But something told him the male was at least slightly confused with his current company.
"Its ... its not though." Jellyfish admitted, closing his eyes once more as he tried his best to remain within the present. He knew he was speaking only of forgetting the sunset, but he didn't want the other to think he disagreed with him in general. Causing undo conflict was never on his agenda, and even now he knew he wasn't prepared for any to erupt.
Jellyfish watched the other male curiously as he ended his vague comment and began to relish in the salty air between them. The question he received as a result was .. completely off mark and he wasn't quite sure if he'd heard it correctly. No one really ever sat with him ... much less asked his name.
The idea of having someone's interest was too much for the male to handle and his chest began to tighten once more. He closed his eyes in time with his attempted breaths and tried to regain himself.
"Name."
He grumbled, mostly to himself but he realized it may not seem that way to others, as he had spoken them allowed.
"W-Woule'ri." He nearly whispered, his mind still in shock as to how anyone would have maintained interest long enough to ask.
"I am Woule'ri."
As he spoke his name, a small spot of warmth grew in his chest. Though it quickly deflated as he realized, common courtesy dictated he request the same information.
"A-and..." Another deep breath coursed through his large chest as he tried to complete the sentence. "And your's?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:04 pm
"Samedi", he bluntly replied. He continued to stare off into the vast distance that was the sea. He felt as if he could get lost in it, just watching as the cool waves danced along the line of the unending horizon. There wasn't many more beautiful sights than an endless ocean, and quite frankly, Sam was glad he had chosen to join the band of muted lions that were looking for a new home to call their own. He had been alone for far too long, and while his quiet and blunt nature was still going to shine, he was looking forward to having somewhere to call home once more, and others to call friends, or acquaintances at least. Even his superior, that feisty white and blue lioness with the skull marking on her shoulder, was someone he felt that he actually looked forward to seeing and talking with again.
"The sea is quite calming. Perhaps you should try to learn from it." He turned his gaze upon Woule'ri, a soft smile among his large black maw. He hoped that his more soft approach of an expression would be more calming and genuine to the jittery lion. "No need to be so anxious. I won't let anyone hurt you. It's my job."
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:18 pm
As he sat in silence watching the other lion, the warmth slowly began to return. He recognized the expression on his face now as well. It was a serene look, a sense that everything was how it should be. A comforting feeling that he was happy to admit he shared with Samwedi.
"I .... I know that feeling." He finally managed as he sat and his tail flicked in relaxation. "The one of looking out there." He mumbled, nudging his fluffy head towards the ocean and its open expanse. "Its .... nice." He managed, a small if somewhat unsettling smile as he spoke.
It was true what Samwedi said about learning from the ocean, and he wondered whether it was possible for someone like himself to learn such techniques from such a source. Judging from the warmth in his chest, and the fact that he'd managed to speak more than two words to another ... He wondered whether there was some truth in it all. He could only assume there had to be.
Woule'ri had lost himself once again in the sunrise and quaint ambient noises when he caught Samwedi move from the corner of his eye. His heart leapt for a moment unsure of how to react. But he quickly noticed the soft smile on his maw.
So he was a Chevalier, the idea of having one he knew personally brought a bit of pride to his heart as he stood there. Though he had to admit he wasn't quite sure he should share that information. He was likely already far too strange to Samwedi.
"T-hank you Samwedi." His tail flicked once more in relaxation as the other male's words helped to soothe his mind.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:48 pm
And there this white male went into a much more relaxed disposition. Samedi was glad, to be honest. He hadn't originally meant to make the male jump, nor spook him in any manner. Some were more defensive than others, and this lion took it to a bit of an extreme. Still, Samedi had no idea about his past or what it was comprised off. Maybe he had been mistreated or had a hard cubhood. There was no telling unless he asked. He kind of wanted to question it and find out, but he also knew that it was not so much his place to either. Perhaps for another time on another day, but not right now having just met the male.
In hearing his thanks, Samedi nodded his large black head, the smile continuing to stay upon his skull maw. "You're welcome, Woule." He had a tendency to shorten names, and he hoped it was okay. It was easier for him to remember that way. Breathing in deeply once more, the hefty lion stood up, stretching out a bit and flicking his tail back and forth to kick off some of the ocean water that had drenched the tip of it. "Not to be rude, but I must be back on about my patrol route. Niite will have yet another pointless lecture for me if I don't." He casually rolled his yellow eyes, keeping the smile on his maw. That lioness had an oddly intriguing sense about her, and he couldn't quite put his paw down on it. "I'm sure we'll cross paths again. You have a good and relaxing day, Woule'ri."
Samedi bowed his head respectfully and slowly began to pad towards, around, and away from the white male, occasionally looking up at the slick rocks that defined the pride's borders.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 5:05 pm
Woule'ri was yet again taken aback by the formal tone that this male had about him. It left him with a dumbfounded expression upon his maw as his brain wrestled with the idea of waving him away or being courteous back. He finally decided upon a simple bow, and returned Samedi's kindness, in turn a huge smile grew upon his maw.
"Oh! Samedi?"
Woule'ri paused, knowing he'd backed himself into a corner and couldn't turn back now.
"Jellyfish."
The words didn't make sense on their own, and it took him a moment to realize it.
"C-Call me Jellyfish ...
p-please!"
His request seemed a bit odd to some, but he hoped Samedi would in future passings, recall it.
Perhaps someday he'd explain it to him, though he knew such names would be strange to those not accustomed to it.
Dipping his head once more, Woule'ri watched as Samedi slowly walked away. His chest relaxing more with each step.
Although his day had started off quite stressful, it did seem to be taking quite the opposite direction.
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