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 Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 6:08 pm
 Kayin sat atop a boulder overlooking the savanah from the boarder of the more rocky region that he'd been raised in. He had a bit more bulk to him but it could very well have been because of his slight growth. For his age he was still small having been under nourished, his ribs still showed though not nearly as cruely as they had been as a younger cub. His mane was growing in thin, but perhaps in time it would catch up with his age.
Utomo had said something about crickets humming at night, he could see some moving their legs on a bit of grass nearby, it was hard to imagine what such a sound would be like. It was described as a loud hum, kind of from all over the place at once. Kayin' brow wrinkled a bit as he batted the bugs away from him, frusterated in his disability... if only he was normal, perhaps his mother would teach him to hunt, to roar, to anything rather than giving him and his brother enough to barely live in some hope that they might pass away in their sleep or leave and be blameles for it.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 6:33 pm
-How long had it been? He wasn't sure. He fell asleep, he woke up, and he worried over things. Time was changing Hodari again. He felt... Something odd. He felt uneasy, perhaps lonesome? The emotions were difficult to place, as they almost always had been. He never knew exactly what it was that he felt coursing through his body. Occasionally he would be able to identify part of it, but never it all. Emotion was abstract for him. That was just how it seemed to be, and he hated it. He hated hardly understanding himself. Furthermore, the lack of understanding had taken a heavy toll on his activity. He didn't hunt as he needed to, nor did he venture off and play as often. He spent more time hiding away somewhere, sleeping, cowering, trying to dig deep within himself to grasp the meaning of his odd concotion of feeling, and the meaning of the strange blurred dreams that were as silent as death. Nevertheless, one thing was obvious to all about him: Hodari wasn't around. He didn't eat. He didn't sleep. He hardly brought himself around to talk. Where he was all of the time no one could say, as he never mentioned what he did throughout the day when asked. Rather than blabbing about what he did he tried to veer towards what other had been up to, and if such conversation did not kick off he would simply state he did not feel well and would leave for "fresh air", sometimes not returning for days, which was the case of the evening. Hodari had gone away for a while to settle himself, and found that he was just returning again, as he always did, for he could not stand the idea of being completly alone. He didn't want to be alone... Ever, not like he had been for the majority of his life.
Sluggishly, the grey and white male dragged himself along the land. His head was hung, body hunched, and eyes filled with a sort of thoughtfulness one wouldn't imagine seeing in them. He seemed a tad weary, and perhaps even a tad shaken. The slight tremble to his body suggested heavily that something horrid was on his mind. Each step taken was a tiny stride foward, one of great reluctance. It almost seemed as if he had no true intention to continue moving foward. However, he did continue moving foward, continued pressing himself further into the place that had become his home. His scarlet eyes had remained downcast for the longest of time before they had finally flinted upward. They were tired eyes, sagging eyes filled with an unidentifiable emotion. When they caught sight of something they seemed to flicker for a moment, with either intrest, guilt, or something of that sort. Those eyes, so plagued by fatigue, had settled shakily upon a truly familiar figure. Kayin? His first reaction had been a pause, and then nothing more than a stare. He stared long and hard before making any sort of move towards the boy. He was out alone, which wasn't that unusual if Hodari thought about it... However, he wasn't really thinking of anything. his mind was almost a blank slate. Almost.-
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 6:45 pm
It took a while to notice Hodari's approach. A normal lion would note that the crickets died off in one area soon followed by the others. They were useful tools out and about, waning the land's inhabitants of anything's approach prior to seeing it, but for Kayin his other senses were all he had. He could taste the wind or smell well enough but the wind wasn't much in favor for that either. The cub looked up from the grass and noted a large form moving towards him. For a moment he couldn't be sure what it was- a rogue lion perhaps? The thought had him on his paws quickly enough but the familar markings soon coaxed him back to a calm.
He perked up instantly upon reconizing Hodari, slowly trotting his way down from the rock to the grass. His stride slowed as he caught the dull look in the male's eye, the shabby condition of health. Why was he in such shape? Had he forgotten how to hunt?
"...Da...ari?" He said carefully, his brow creasing in concern.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:19 pm
-The being met part of the way had been delightful. Hodari's feet had slowed to a complete halt when Kayin had grown closer. He'd been correct, it was Kayin! Of course it was, though. Hodari couldn't miss one of Ciyari's cubs when he saw them. He knew them by memory. However, he supposed look-alikes were possible. But, the area was scarce of lions. he had not encountered one, excluding a wild little cub who had been stuck in the mud... But, that had been seemingly long ago.
A smile as weary as Hodari's stride had emerged on his face. Such a long time. So many days gone by. Kayin was bigger, that was for sure, but he was still scraggily and underfed. Ah, he had continued to feel horrid about such a thing. He hated seeing the boys in such condition when he saw them. He'd always tell himself they were to be fine, but he knew that wasn't so. Cubs needed food. Nothing was voiced at the partial syllables of his name. 'Dari'. It rang in his ears, told him it was he being spoke to and not some imaginary ghost. A sort of nod of greeting was given, not so weak as his walking had been. He did not appear in favorable condition, for he had grown a tiny bit more slender, and his pelt was uncared for, filthy, but, regardless, he had managed a nod that had seemed a bit strong. Those eyes had not changed. They had kept their hold on the emotion they'd grasped. However, the small flicker that had developed from the sight of Kayin had mushed in with the stark dullness, providing a tiny bit of good life to the eyes and face.- "Hello, Kayin." -He spoke for the sake of speaking. It was custom for him to speak slowly about Kayin. He mouthed the words slowly, made the sounds slowly... Any communication attempt made was often slug-like.-
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:48 pm
"Ahh..nmmmng...", he smiled, nuzzling himself up against Hodari's leg. He had missed the larger male, for some reason he enjoyed his company. The male paid attention to him and treated him kindly, his siblings were the only other creatures that had been even decent towards him. He'd never known a father, Hodari was as close to one as he'd have.
"D...dari o...rng....mm... ouu look... " He looked around, slowly putting a paw on his chest, "...s...n...skinny..."
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:33 pm
-It had taken time for everything to process properly. He had needed to force his mind to think so that he could even slightly understand what Kayin was saying, and doing. The gesture of slight affection had warmed him, pleased him. He had never expected to recieve warmth from Ciyari's cubs. He'd never been close to them, any of them. Kayin, however, had been working his way there. The last time he'd spent time with the boy had left an imprint within the adult, a sort of vague fatherly feel. The loneliness that had developed over his away time had bega to subside. The smile had remained on his face, weary as it was when it had first emerged.
The following comment had hardly startled him. Skinny? He suppsoed he'd dropped some of the pudge he'd carried for such a long while, but he still was not too skinny. He still maintained a nourished appearence... He simply wasn't full of blubber and fluff as he had been before.- "Skinny?" -He repeated the word, eyes squinting curiously...- "You look big." -He commented, smile growing a bit more. One giant paw was lifted up to ruffle the tuft of hair upon Kayin's head.- "Taller, for certain."
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:23 pm
"Talrr." He said brightly, hcukling at the paw on his head, playfully batting it away, "Utomo too." He nodded sheepishly. "W....aaaii uu...." he motioned with his paw, almost like he was shooing Hodari. He wanted to know where the lion had gone... why he had gone. "....mam.. m...aaynnn...aaaake you... g....go.. aaay?"
She might have... she didn't seem too friendly with him either. Maybe he'd done something wrong- or Utomo... it was possible either way.
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Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:51 pm
"Utomo too? not as big as you, is he?"-He had needed to work harder to capture the phrase, his mind having been on dual planes. Taller. They were growing, which had Hodari feeling a bit guilty about his so called 'away time'. He was, of course, not their father, thus feeling guilty seemed a bit awkward. Nevertheless, he did find himself with that pang of hurt from missing a decent amount of time. Then again, he had never been on fabulous terms with Ciyari's cubs, Kayin becoming a bit of an exception. Ciyari's daughter was Ciyari's daughter, and Hodari rarly ever saw her, and Utomo just didn't seem willing to attach... Kayin, though different and requiring much mental thought to understand at times, seemed willing to associate with Hodari on, seemingly, friendly terms. That was the ping of his guilt. Kayin.
His grin widened a bit more, but began to dim. His paw was moved away when Kayin had made the motion of batting the large thing away. It was returned to the ground, a bit of silence continuing before Kayin;s words filled the air and Hodari had to decode. Mamy? Mommy. Make you go away? Ciyari? For a moment, Hodari's fatigued features had turned more to a look of dread than anything else. He'd turned his face away for a moment before returning it to look at Kayin. There were awkward times with Ciyari, he would admit, but he would never run from her. He often felt lonely around her, but he also felt happy, and he felt far too many things towards her. He had deeply missed her when gone the first time, although he had been losing her image within his mind while hiding from Eupe when he was younger. Ah, he wouldn't forget returning to find her grown. He hadn't recognized her! He had not recalled her features to great extent, which, in a way, had shamed him since that day. Never again would he make the mistake of losing her memory. He wanted her there as badly as he wanted to be in company of others. His eyes had lowered to the ground as he had continued to dwell on the lioness. He needed to see her, truly needed to. Oh, there were things he wanted to tell her! Confess! He'd come to one true realization while off on his own, and that was that he held great affections for the woman, although he seemed to spend such small amounts of time about her.
A breath was taken in before Hodari uttered any words. He had continued speaking in the manner of slowness.- "No, she did not." -His head was shaken to display the negative response. Ciyari had most certainly not provoked his brief departure. It had been... Those damned dreams! He wanted them to disperse and never return, although he had a feeling that they never would leave.- "Your mother couldn't make me go away unless she told me to go in the first place."
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:36 pm
It was the sound of voices which attracted the small, but growing lioness from her stroll. Time was moving forward but still the child in her showed, evident in her large blue eyes and almost far too innocent stare. She had been looking for a friend of hers- a small male cub she had met some time ago, hoping to see if he might want to go play... But, she had not found him, and Kilua had resolved herself to the knowledge that her family was rather isolated. She knew not the purpose, nor the reason of it- perhaps she intentionally blocked some things from her mind. But almost all of it was done with love. She knew her mother did not care for her brothers the same way she was doted upon. Kilua, felt somewhere that this was unnatural- but how was she to know? As far as she considered it, it was because she was Ciyari's female child. And she loved her mother, completely. She strived to drain every ounce of knowledge from her mother, and hope to apply that to herself. Yet- she was too full of love, the small youth. She had the look of blind innocence, and when it came across her to realize that Kayin was about, her face lit up and she quickly honed in on the familiar speech.
Yet another thing the small female had blocked with love was the peculiarness in tone of her brother. Surely, mother and Utomo did not talk like him... but how was that a clear selection of the entire lion population? As far as Kilua was concerned, it was perfectly normal. Wasn't it?
"Kayin!" She called from below the reeds, and quickly scrambled to where he was at. He was standing not too far from a large rock and an equally large lion, and from where she was he rose out of the grass in ample sight. Quickly she scaled the pile of rocks and field.
It didn't take more then a few moments to reach the point where he was, and eagerly she circled, and rubbed herself against him, her elegant tail gently swaying. For a child, she had developed a kind of adult like walk from her mother- it was long, and loping and oddly graceful for such a child, and even when she spoke she made forced efforts at sounding more like her mother. But her voice was soft- and her youth still betrayed her attempts at age. She purred pleasantly and distractedly, quickly facing her brother and raising her ears. "Where's Utomo?" She questioned, before noticing that, most in clear view of everyone, Hodari sat in midconversation with Kayin.
Kilua flushed and shook her head. She had noticed him before, but she had somewhat lost herself in her greeting, and attempted to feign a more adult like composure. She had not seen much of Hodari recently, although she did not know why. "Hello, Hodari." She spoke softly, smiling. She paused, considering what would be the more adult-like thing to say. "Um... How are you?" Kilua spoke, her voice somewhat trailing. As she did, she leaned into Kayin.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:42 pm
"Don....don... g...go ayyy....", Kayin frowned, his brow wrinkling almost comically at the very notion that his mother would send Hodari away. Even if he would only leave if she told him to he should stay. It wouldn't be the same without Hodari there. He and Utomo would probibly never get fed and have to leave to find their own food... it was selfish to have Utomo always hunting for him in Utomo's mind but he wasn't at all a decent hunter. He was able to catch what he saw but the moment it was out of his sight or had escaped his sense of smell it was lost. Utomo had the advantage of hearing the scraping of tiny claws against rocks... he also had the advantage of being aware of how loud -he- was being. Kayin, however, still didn't grasp that moving caused sounds. That a pebble tumbling down a small hill rattled, that his pawsteps in dry grass made a crumbling sound. Even if he was excelent at keeping himself hidden, he could always be heard. Even in speaking he almost yelled sometimes where in sometimes he spoke too softly.
He didn't know what a father was, as far as he was concerned cubs just came from a mother. Hodari was a friend of hers, Utomo had made certain to specify this fact sharply. "...y..uuuuu... m...mm...", he growled in frusteration, his nose wrinkling up as he tried to think of the word. He'd never spoken the word 'friend' before... he'd only seen it spoken a few times.
He gave a startled jerk as his sister came up and nuzzled around him, soon breaking off into a laugh. "Kilua!" He said once he realized who it was. He hadn't heard her call him so the nuzzling was the first sign that he and Hodari weren't the only ones there. "You s...saaar me." He chuckled, nuzzling his head against her shoulder lightly. He had missed the question of Utomo as well, his eyes shut as she nuzzled against him. "Swrrowry." His way of asking her to approach slower next time.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:45 pm
-Don't go away had rang like bells. He'd picked them up. Don't go away. Don Go Ay. The adult's ears had flicked back, body slinking somewhat at the words. He had seemed... Struck, perhaps? Although, the exact reason for his shrinking had not suggested anything other than guilt. Slinking back, after all, did not propose that an indivisual were shocked. It only proposed that they were either frightened, or guilty of something. For Hodari, it was one or the other, but one couldn't be too sure which was the proper. The mouth motions were made for words. However, no sound escaped him, the adult having gone mute. He'd repeated Kayin's lip motions. Don't go away. He wouldn't. Never for long, never for long... Not unless he had to. He would never... Not again. His face had turned to stone, growing fairly stern. A firm nod had been given as the muteness continued. Hodari had made the mouth motion for 'never', and then had shut his mouth. He would not leave forever for many-a-reasons. If he left he would be alone, he would likely never see Ciyari again, and then there was the matter of Kayin. Utomo, Hodari suspected, could care for himself. The boy didn't care much for Hodari anyway, thus Hodari's concern for him was as detached as it had always been. The same had occured with Kilua, who he continued viewing as another male's cub, and Ciyari's daughter. Kayin, though... Kayin was working it, and Hodari was getting attached. He would not say it out loud, at least not around Ciyari, but he found he was incredibly fond of Kayin... Little mouse chaser, and a gentleman. He could still recall the bringing of a mouse to Ciyari that one day he'd been chattering with her. Inwardly, he smiled. However, his face had remained stern until the loud calling of his companion's name was bellowed. Kayin!, it rang like an echo as Hodari began to quell his thoughts over why he would never leave. his eyes had snapped up only in time to see the young girl rub up against Kayin affectionatly. He watched, listened, heard Utomo's name, and then began to notice other things. Her actions resembled her mother vaguly, but not so much that Hodari would have been able to declare them mother and daughter were they complete strangers and he'd just met the family. A brief nod was given to signify a greeting.- "Hello..." -He'd cleared his throat, Kayin's statement still within the back of his mind. Sluggishly, he sat back on his hauches, body slouching as it often did when he was not in Ciyari's presence. That was one thing anyone would notice about Hodari... He acted different around the adult lioness. He was much more august when she was near, much more in-tune with mannerism and customs of a gentleman as opposed to those of a vagabond. The comment on how he was doing was disregarded, Hodari not bothering to answer it. The truth of the matter was that he did not know how he was. He was tired, but he had things he wanted to do before he dared to collapse and sleep. He was hungry, but he had things he wanted to do before he dared eat...- "Haven't seen you in a god while." -He'd spoken, same detached tone he used on occasion with strange animals. Affection was lacking, but curtosy apparent.-
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:13 pm
One thing Kilua had learned from her mother was a sense of attitude- and it was not lost upon Kilua that the other male dodged her question. But her child's mind could not grasp it. Was this male cold to her? She did not know the reason- perhaps she ignored it, but after some thought she could not decipher the motives. Was she not courteous? Perhaps mother would have done it better. She felt slightly disappointed, being a very emotional sort- but she was the kind of creature who kept her feelings welled. There was a secret to her family, and she had felt it since she could comprehend. There was something missing, a piece, a bone- but she had not the faintest idea what it was. She was out of the loop. But she knew, this she was quite sure with certainly this male knew. And so did her mother. So it was not so much that Hodari had not responded which affected her, but this constant reminder that there was something greatly out of place. And she was not approved to know of it.
But for a moment, she let it go, almost sighing before the sigh fell into a small giggle as she rubbed her head against Kayin's. She shook it slowly, and mouthed- "I am sorry." She said breathlessly. Perhaps she did it as a sense of minute power. Her brother could surely tell what she was mouthing without sound. But to the rest of the world, it was bone silence. "I am sorry I scared you. I won't do it again-" A smile, and a shake of her head and a glance towards Hodari and back to Kayin- still, silently, she mouthed- "I was excited." She explained further, and now, she returned her small pale grey head towards the other lion.
Coolly now- but still such a pale child, she flattened her ears and remarked, "I have not seen you either, Sir." She retorted- but somewhat fleetingly, as if it pained her to not be able to love, and to feel somewhat alienated. As if for reassurance, she backed into Kayin, and flicked her tail. Adult males made her nervous. She had never felt so much of that presence around Hodari before- but it was fluttering through her chest now. There was flatness in his tone, and she felt timidly unnecessary.
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 10:40 am
Kayin put a paw up to playfully bat at Kilua's face as she made her apology, his eyes watching her mouth the way he would a mouse or a hare, ears perking upwards though he knew it would do them no good, but it made him look more into what they were saying and was a bit more polite in his opinion. At her aplology he smirked and shook his head, "No... irt sis....siiiis...is... orrrkay, Kilua."
He put his paw back down and glanced back towards the den, his ears lowering back to where he kept them. It gave him a sad look all the time, almost pathetic when seen with his boney frame and undergroomed pelt. He wanted Utomo to be here too... and even his mother- a big family to welcome back Hodari- maybe they could hunt together. He knew he wans't much good with them but he was sure he could learn. Ciyari was a great huntress though it didn't seem she liked to dirty her paws with it whenever she was able to coax Hodari into hunting.
He shook his head and looked back to the others, scratching at an ear as he glanced between their conversations. "Kilua earr...eaaaan....le...rearn aw owww... to..." He swiped at the air, making a mock of a growling sound. It was a humorous sound coming from him, it was likely his roar would never be something worth jumping to so his growls were quite pathetic as well, "Eeeeet th.... hrunt."
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 6:01 pm
-He had not heard Kilua's words towards Kayin. In fact, he had not even noticed her mouth moving as she spoke to her brother, for his weariness and slightly plagued mind had stepped in the way. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to eat. But, that he couldn't do, wouldn't do. Not at that moment. Not then. Later. Later.
The adult rose, becoming a tad fidgety. His body was stretched, head lifted and back arched like the letter 'U', except not quite as caved in. His tail swished a moment, pausing as his body became completly still. Without so much as a word to signify what he was doing, he began to walk. He walked a short distance, just around Kayin and in the direction of which the den was located. He seemed to be observing the area, as if there were something in particular he was trying to pick out... A while longer passed. Silence... and then he responded to the retort of the young female.- "True. You haven't." -He had commented, his back turned to both of the younger felines. Suddenly, his ears flicked back and he spun himself around to make sure he could see them both. Oh, that dread of having missed what he'd missed! They were not even really his... Regardless, he felt something! What was it he felt? He squinted, then his face softened.-
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:11 pm
Kilua frowned, watching as Hodari turned and walked towards the den. A silence was catching in her throat, and it took her a moment to realize that Kayin was speaking to her. "Oh!" She uttered and turned her head slowly, listening intently on the elongated speech of her brother. "Hunting?" She questioned, her distraction having momentarily lost what her brother was saying- something she did not usually do, as she tended to be able to decipher his speech out of familiarity. As if all of this had some connection, she turned her head towards Hodari and shifted her ear. He was looking at them now, but she did not know why he had such an expression- and it somewhat cause caution to bubble into her chest. Softly she rubbed against Kayin and moved her position to her otherside, gently dangling her paws over the edge of the rock and peering at the den with wide blue eyes.
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