|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:50 pm
As much as she hated to admit it, Jatukaa needed to spend some time away from Zuri. Not that she wanted to get away from him, she simply had to get to know at least one other member of the pride. She'd been here over a week and only knew him. That simply wouldn't do. The entire pride was her new family and she needed to embrace all of them. Even if she wanted to spend her time embracing Zuri.
Kaa hummed happily as she saw that the sun was going to be setting within the next hour or so. Her favorite time of day was dusk, when the sun was setting and the sky was beginning to darken and the bats would be out. It was ideal time for them and she loved to see them moving through the air. She only wished at times that she had wings of her own so she could join them.
Her muse had taken her quite by surprise, but the small creatures spoke to her heart and her soul in a way that nothing and no one else could. Even her family had never felt this close.
She walked along the beach and breathed in the fresh air of the ocean and felt like she was home. She could not imagine how she had ever lived anywhere else. This place was her paradise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:58 pm
Sometimes, Sadachbia was just a lonely ghost in the pride. The crazy lioness who wandered around, telling fortunes from the stars. She was always happy, gentle, upbeat - but today she sat silently in the embrace of the warm sand, even as the heat began to fade from the little particles around her. Her gaze, those bright tangerine eyes, was locked upon the ghostly figure of the moon as it hung in the sky.
"Out in the daytime again, I see," speaking to no one but herself, and completely unaware of Kaa's presence as she made her way towards her along the beach. The way she was looking at the moon, one would assume it was her muse, her eyes watching it with such longing. But there was also sadness there, like someone was watching a lost lover - and in Sada's mind, she was.
Was Ori out there somewhere, staring up at the moon in a sunset sky?
Her muse came out at night, filling her with hope, but during the night his was the brightest thing in the heavens - reminding her of times past.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:08 pm
Jatukaa blinked in surprise when she noticed the other female sitting on the beach. She had not expected to run into another pride member in this area and it wasn't until she glanced around that she realized she'd gone further down the beach that she thought. She'd been completely caught up in her own thoughts.
She gazed curiously at the female who didn't seem to notice Kaa's presence at all. She wanted to call out to her, but something stopped her. Perhaps it was the female's expression as she gazed at the sky, or her posture. Something prevented her from breaking that reverie.
Kaa crept closer but stopped and sat a respectful distance away. She was hopelessly curious about the female and wanted to greet her, but certainly didn't want to interrupt anything either. Perhaps this female was speaking to her muse. If so, she didn't want to disrupt the conversation. But she was ever so curious . . .
"Good evening," she said softly before she could stop herself. She smiled a bit sheepishly and wondered if the other female would respond.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:17 pm
Luckily for Jatukaa, Sada was actually not talking to her muse. It wasn't quite yet dark enough for the stars to start speckling the sky (though it was very close) which meant that Sada still had some coherency left in her. Once the stars were out, it would be a completely different story.
"Well, it's not quite evening yet, is it?" she asked with a smile, the corners not quite turned up all the way and giving note to her underlying sadness. "It's more like.. between. Everything and nothing all at once." She seemed pleased with herself for her deduction, but at least she was still watching the newcomer. Had this been her true mystic fortune-teller self, she probably would have forgotten about her already.
"I've never seen you before." It was a statement, not a question, just something she observed. "I'm Sadachbia," her smile stayed in place and she dipped her head, her tangerine eyes glimmering in the light from the setting sun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:23 pm
Jatukaa could sense something different about Sada. She'd become somewhat decent and reading others, but no talent in that regard was needed to notice that there was definitely something different. Kaa could sense some underlying sorrow in her expression and she wondered about it, but didn't dare ask. It would be beyond rude.
It would seem that whatever strange presence or feeling that resided in these lands affected some more strongly than others. Kaa was just beginning to learn those effects since she was indeed new to the lands.
With a genuine smile, Kaa stood and bowed deeply before sitting again. She felt somehow that the lioness deserved that level of respect.
"I guess you're right. It isn't quite evening yet, but it will be soon," she said, gazing at the sky before looking back at Sada. "I am new to these lands, I arrived only a week or so ago. It is nice to meet you, Sadachbia. I am Jatukaa."
She thought for a minute before quietly adding, "I hope I am not disturbing or interrupting you in any way, I saw you and wanted to say hello."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:31 pm
"Soon," she echoed behind the lioness, as if there was something in particular she waited and longed for. Each day was lonely to her without the stars chattering overhead. She always felt like they were just there, just out of reach.
"It's lovely to have you here, then, Jatukaa," that was probably more coherency than she would normally get from the girl. If she remembered her name in the morning, that'd be an accomplishment the likes of which had never been seen before. "We have a lot of new lovelies."
She glanced back up at the moon as Jatukaa mentioned her conversation, her brows knitting slightly as she stared at it. It was lonely up there, but growing brighter as the sky grew darker. "Oh, you didn't interrupt anything, she doesn't talk to me. I keep hoping she'll me her secrets, but she never does." She smiled sadly and looked back down at Jatukaa with all the knowing of a lioness who had been through something tragic. "She is wretched thing for being so good at keeping secrets." And yet, even as she said this, she didn't seem mad - just lonely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:50 pm
Half of what Sada said came off as sounding like nonsense, but it was the expression that she wore and the look in her eyes. Kaa could tell that she would have to live quite a long time and see many loved ones pass on before she would ever understand what she saw in those eyes.
She followed Sada's gaze up to the mood and wondered what it was about the disk hanging in the sky that made her so sad.
Her words were so kind, though she got the feeling that Sada might not remember her later on. Well, that didn't bother Jatukaa very much at all. Her father's mother had been alive when Kaa was a cub and she'd liked to spend time with her. However, her grandmother had been quite old and sometimes struggled to remember things.
Sada's words tugged a little at Kaa's heart. The older lioness seemed very lonely and Kaa thought that was particularly sad. She would do her best to keep Sada company.
"Thank you very much. I really am enjoying it here," said Kaa, with a smile.
She turned to gaze at the sky, which was beginning to fill with colors as the sun set. The moon in particular, seemed so very far away.
Kaa wasn't quite sure what to say, but tried anyway. "I am very sorry she doesn't share her secrets. She seems very mysterious. Perhaps that mystery is just a part of who she is."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:57 am
Kaa's words seemed to please Sada, for her sad smile became a little more sincere and she brought her eyes away from the moon to really look at the girl for what was probably the first time since she had sat down at her side.
"All the best muses are mysterious, that's why we love them," she spoke as if she had a great knowledge of these things, as most older lions did, and maybe she was right - or maybe she was just crazy. Sometimes it was hard to tell what was true with these Kizingo lions. "Maybe one day I will bribe the old ghost with something and he will agree to be my spy." After that, it was very likely she was just crazy, because it made very little sense.
Her eyes drifted up to the sky again, but this time they turned to look behind her where the darkness of night was beginning to trail behind the orange of dusk. In the midst of all the color, the first star was beginning to shine, and Sada's whole face changed. She looked dreamy and pleased, far away from that sad, sad lioness sitting alone on the beach. "They're coming out to play again." At least she wasn't completely gone yet, however, for that statement still sounded like it was directed at Kaa at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:18 am
((Thank you so much, Fel! <3333))
Kaa glanced up at the sky and her eyes widened as the stars began to appear. They seemed almost extra bright tonight, for some reason. She saw the effect that the sight of the stars had on Sada and guessed that she had identified her muse.
Jatukaa had to admit that she was confused by what Sada said. There seemed to be some clarity to the older lioness's statements, but a great deal of it made no sense to her. Who was the old ghost that she spoke of? Perhaps Sada was a bit crazy after all. Strangely, Kaa didn't find that disturbing or frightening. It almost seemed natural.
That thought led her to ponder about the long-term effects that whatever strange presence was in this lands had on the lions here. Everyone identified with a personal muse and it was quite natural to see other lions speaking to the open air as if holding private conversations with herself. She had to admit that she was beginning to do this as well. Looking at Sada, Kaa wondered if she would be like her sometime.
"The stars are exceptionally bright tonight," she said, quietly. "They are really quite lovely."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:46 am
"The greatest treasure in the world," she cooed softly in response to Jatukaa. It was something she often said and an opinion she would always hold onto.
As the stars began to come out, one by one, they each added their voice to the first, until they began to become a mass of whispering and giggling voices that buzzed high overhead. Sada's smile spread wide and, for the first time it seemed, truly let go of any lingering sadness. This was her element, her muse, the thing that made her most happy in all the world.
"So many pretty, pretty voices," she murmured, pushing herself to her feet and beginning to meander down to the shoreline. Jatukaa seemed forgotten in favor of the stars overhead, but if she asked anyone, they would probably just say that it was simply Sada's nature.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:38 am
Jatukaa gazed sadly after Sada but didn't move to follow her. It was obvious that she was off in her own world now and Kaa was forgotten. That was alright though, she didn't mind. She watched her move further down the shore before she stood and turned to head back to Zuri's cave.
She hoped she might get the chance to see Sada again. Though the older lioness was a bit strange, she felt there was things that she could learn if she was able to speak with her. Kaa's heart went out to her, recognizing another lonely soul. Zuri's presence had gone a long way to heal her own, but she wished she could do the same for another person.
She looked back one more time with a sad smile, before she turned her gaze to the sky and set off in the opposite direction down the beach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|