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 Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 6:59 pm
 It was a small pride. And within that small pride was a tiny contigent of Bards. Which made it rather ridiculous that Tarafa had yet to meet Moto'Nafsi, the outsider who had joined the pride and taken the rank of Bard. She could say it was because she'd been busy (true), or because there'd just been a lot going on lately (true), or even that she'd been so distracted by all the cubs that were everywhere she went that by the time she would've gotten to where he was denning it was far too late to talk (true), but that didn't excuse the fact that she'd been remiss in her duty (extremely true). The lioness had high hopes for this meeting. After all, he knew of places and peoples that she would never in her life meet. She, in return, knew of the daily life of the pride going back many seasons. So things stood as the blue-grey lioness approached the black-blue-and-grey lion. "Good morning," she called out, not wanting to sneak up on him in any way.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:51 pm
Even if it was a small pride, it was a good pride, he figured. The lions here were sweet and kind and did all they could. Nothing about sacraficial things here, and pelt arguments there. It was. . .nice. Even with all the little buggers running underpaw at all times. He digressed.
A dark ear flickered at the sound of the blue-grey female that came his way, his orange eyes that almost glowed glancing her way in curiousity. The old pride would have had a wild one with her, pelt so pale and soft looking, sacrafice material. But he felt comfortable talking with her, knowing that they together were considered even ground - nothing holding them back from talking so comfortably.
"A good morning to you also, my dear pridemate," He called back, smiling to her as she came closer, tilting his head. "What brings you to my side today?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:58 pm
Tarafa blinked. Pridemate? Surely he didn't mean...well, maybe it was how he thought people in a pride should talk...or how people in his old pride had talked. She didn't know enough about him to know from whence he came. One of many things she hoped to remedy today!
"Simply the fact that, as a Bard, I've come to know each and every member of this pride to some degree," she replied. Did that sound too presumptuous? She hoped not. It had been a very long time since she was an Escort and much had changed since then. The lioness chided herself for her maunderings and returned to the conversation. "Yet I don't know much about you yet, save that you came to us from the outside and are my fellow Bard," the blue lioness continued, finishing with a raised eyebrow as a silent invitation to pick up where she'd left off.
Curiosity was curiosity, but part of what she did was learn how all the people in the pride fit together. On occassion she had advised Nawiri of potential trouble before it had erupted enough to be recognized. Not that she thought Moto'nafsi would be trouble, but it was best to know ahead of time.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:15 pm
Moto'Nafsi's eyebrows quirked a little at the same time as the female's when she temporarily took aback at his words. Had he said something incorrect? He was still stepping on eggshells about how he should feel in this new pride, and everyday was a new experience for him. Clearing his throat and smiling a little, he was relieved when she continued with her nevertheless attitude of the conversation.
Her curiosity made him slightly nervous about continuing the lead conversation - how would she feel if she knew where he had come from . . . he hoped not to scare her away with his history. . his original home. He would keep that home with him, no matter where he was. Masking his worry, he shook his head and smiled to her softly.
"I am still getting used to the hustle and bustle of the new pride, my fellow bard," he started, looking around to emphasis, "but you are right, I had decided to take a long journey from a pride that is far from here, to take on the humbling lifestyle of such a deep pride, rich with unique roots," he started, looking over her, "but have only met the queen in passing. You're the second I have truly made time to meet, and would love to answer any questions you wish. I am Moto'Nafsi, son of Chumu'Nafsi and Kivuli, previously of the Mizimu'Tungika. . . yourself?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:23 pm
She could tell he was uneasy, hopefully it wasn't something she'd said or done. It was hard - without knowing much about where or how he'd grown up, she didn't know what to avoid and what to encourage. It was a problem she'd rarely run into and she didn't care for the lack of knowledge.
So it wasn't too surprising to the lioness when he admitted to having similar troubles, albeit from the opposite perspective. Tarafa smiled at him.
"Tarafa, born right here in the Kitwana'antara," she responded in kind. She thought about mentioning Uzazi, but decided he didn't need to know that yet. The poor boy was long dead, and her destiny had changed the day he died.
"Our roots may be deep, but there are few now who remember them," the lioness paused, blue eyes looking into memories he could never truly see. "Fewer than there should be," she whispered, not fully aware she was speaking aloud.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 4:59 pm
His bright gaze lowered to the ground, eyebrows high in consideration, but his eyes flickering between the dark green of the grass and the bright blue of his dipped paws, he attempted to steal a couple glances at the pale lioness again as she talked. The feeling was a little heavy between them, but he understood where she came from with her worries and sadness.
"It is nice to see that some of the lions make it to a healthy age, at least." he started, smiling a little. "On their own wills that is. I came from a pride who was the opposite. Live for a larger good promised by some gods or seers or something to that effect." He sneered a bit, as if he wasn't sure he believed it in the long run. Of course he didn't, as he was here now, and not there. "They didn't cherish living as much as these few do, I commend the families who still try to carve a name into this pride, even if it means taking the sickness with them, you know?"
It was nice to get that out, at least.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:09 pm
Tarafa was lost in gloomy thoughts until Moto'nafsi spoke again, reminding her that she was not alone. She smiled faintly. Yes, some did make it to adulthood and beyond, but they were few and far between when compared to the cubs and juveniles, adolescents and young adults who were taken in so many ways, but mostly by Pestilence. These days.
Her interest was perked by his reference to his old pride and a belief system that sounded totally foreign to how she'd lived her life. Truly, she wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"We do what we can with the time given to us," the lioness replied slowly. "The Goddess can make our lives...much worse...if we should forget that." Memories of the secondary plague of seasons past flickered before her eyes, and those blue eyes narrowed in unhappy remembrance. Surya'nontle had been weak, easily swayed, and the faith in Pestilence had been lost. It was no wonder the Goddess had struck back at the pride.
"Still," she continued, forcing her eyes up and back on the other lion, "I begin to have an idea of why you came to us willingly, and I thank the Goddess for bringing me a fellow Bard, at the very least!" The levity in Tarafa's voice was somewhat forced, but she refused to dwell on the unchangeable past when the future was a hundred times brighter.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:45 pm
He could only nod to her and offer up a soft smile while she talked about the Goddess that they cherished so much. It was still a foreign idea to him - a concrete reasoning for such ill luck - having been raised knowing tha the greater spirits were there along side the mortals, and were just revered. But he digressed.
"Where I come from, it was known that those with certain . . . resposibilities were raised knowing that their lives were forfeit for a greater good. . ." Giving a soft nod, he looked over the lands around him, his ears swivelling around quickly. "It is nice to know tha the spirits are willing to at least cherish those around it, giving it life where life is needing, knowing that it will grasp onto the shreds, instead of tithering it away on fickle matters such as personal gains," he murmured softly, glance returning to her.
"But, I completely agree with it - I am happy to have met such a kind bard to share a kinship with, Tafara, I feel well received." He was sincere with this, both in tring to cheerp up the lioness a bit, and a sense of affection for his new pridemate. He would carve a life into this home, one way or another.
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 2:05 pm
The lioness' ears pricked up with interest as Moto'nafsi spoke about his former pride. Perhaps, one day, when they both had some true leisure time they could sit and discuss ideological differences in depth. Much of what he referred to was so totally alien to her, and she could tell every now and then that he was struggling to understand those things which were second nature to her.
Tarafa shrugged. "You could say that our lives are also forfeit for a greater good. One school of thought says that if we please the Goddess of Pestilence over so many generations, She will allow the disease of this pride to fade away." She paused, then continued, a warning tone in her voice. "However if we should...turn from Her...She is liable to take offense and be all the crueler for it."
She smiled at the male, softening the verbal blow. "Still, I am glad that you are here. It gives me hope for the future, and for when I myself must go with the Goddess." Rare were the times when Tarafa spoke of her own position in the pride, and her age. But no one lived forever. Especially not in this pride.
Perhaps, when Moto'nafsi understood them better, she would pass onto him the old tales of how the Kitwana'antara came to be, that he might tell future generations.
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Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 9:33 pm
"She seems to be a bit of a fickle queen, does she not?" he questioned openly, his tail swishing behind him. This goddess was something else that he was not used to - the idea of an open deityship with mortals bowing to subdue them. Shaking his head, he looked away. "It seems like a bitter cycle, but I will not knock it, for it appears that some are bound to this cycle, through bone and blood, and I do not wish to curse them further with my skepticism."
Swirving his ears back a bit, he could only nod to the Bard before him, lowering his head a little. He above all knew that no one lived forever, he was an example of one of the few who had escaped fate multiple times, through whatever luck he struck with whatever spirits had followed him.
Trying to bring up a front, he squared his broad shoulders and jaw, looking to the ground, as if being proud. "I promise to take any stories that you trust me with, to the grave, singing all the verses and words you taught, as long as you can promise me the same." He murmured, flickering his tail. "I hope we can continue this budding friendship. It makes me glad to know that even a guarded pride can accept me as one of their own, in the end."
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:58 am
"She is beyond mortal understanding," Tarafa replied simply in a tone that said That is That. It did no good to try and understand gods, for they were beyond what mortals could comprehend. Their powers were great and their motivations unfathomable and the Bard didn't see the point in trying to understand them.
She seized on the change of subject gratefully. "Oh, not to the grave, for stories are meant to be told and shared!" she chided Moto'Nafsi with a smile. "But surely we'll take the time to exchange stories, you and I."
The lioness nodded to her companion. "I think you are the kind of lion we need more of in this pride, who comes here of his own free will to build a new life here. You are welcome, and I look forward to our next meeting."
With that, she turned her tail and left. There were always more stories to gather, after all.
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