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 Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:48 am
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AIM LOG - Nuxaz and Wooga Paes
-- Peke and Ethiopia
Pissing off a ratel. Lets add this to the list of things that's a -bad- idea.
Not that she'd ever thought of it as a good one, but she somehow managed to end up in running as fast as you can (apologizing profusely in the meantime, in hopes of absolution), in order to keep your tail intact. Granted, she may have been asking for it, but.. honestly, she didn't know the honey had been his! Well, she supposed she should have known, its not like honeycombs just.. sat around like that, but still.
Finally, though, the ratel gave up its chase, leaving Ethi to clamber up onto a rock for safety, ad feeling like her lungs were burning, drop her catch. Phew, close one.
.. Wait, catch? .. She thought she'd dropped that earlier. The gray juvenile furrowed her brow, eying the honeycomb suspiciously. Ethiopia was almost positive she'd dropped it when she saw that ratel coming at her-- oh.. wait, no, she didn't. She clamped her teeth down. Of course! /That's/ why the damn ratel had been so persistent in chasing her. She still had the honey! ... Oops. "Sorry! " She called out, though she couldn't really see the ratel anymore, and she feared going after it and returning the honey wouldn't end up so well.
.. Crap, though. Now she felt rather guilty. Hm. ... Staring at the honeycomb a bit longer, though, made Ethi come to the conclusion that she shouldn't just let the good stuff go to waste. And she -did- have a sweet tooth.
--
Peke had been feeling rather happy, things had actually been going well for him. He had friends that he trusted, depended on really, a 'mother' who cared for him, and he hadn't seen Ufunuo in a while. He called this a good day. Of course he felt rather bad for his brother, whom he had not spent nearly any time with since the earthquake. He wasn't entirely sure if it was because he was avoiding or being avoided. Either way they had met up again and had been shocked to see that it was he who was better off. Their rolls had reversed, Dumu had taken to being the loner while he had spent his time surrounded by people. Well after he had fought with them for some time.
In any case he wasn't given much time to think about it anyway, he was distracted by the sight of his dear friend. "Ethi!" He called cheerfully smiling.
--
At first, Ethi's ears shot up at the sound of her name. Oh no! Was the ratel coming back-- .. no, wait. How the heck would the ratel know her name? She turned her head to find Peke, no far off. "Hey Peke! " she replied, but decided against going over for the sake of the honeycomb sitting next to her. She was sure something would come snatch it up if she left it alone, after all. Ooh, hey. Maybe Peke wanted honey. Lets voice that thought.
"Want honey? " She shouted over to him, motioning to the honeycomb, though unsure if he could see it from where he stood.
--
Peke's ears flicked when he heard her call his name, but when she didn't come to meet him halfway he frowned. Then she spoke and it all clicked together in his head. She had honey and was protecting it! "Oh, uh..." he mumbled scratching the back of his head with his paw. He wasn't really one for sweets but since she had some it couldn't hurt. "Sure, but not much," he told her as he trotted towards her, closing the distance between then. "How much trouble did you get into when you snagged this?"
--
A pause as she considered this question, cutting a piece of the honeycomb with her claws and nudging it towards Peke (Though smallish, since he said 'not much'), or the direction he was approaching from. "Uhhh.... How much trouble do you think getting chased by a ratel is? " She pondered, licking her now dirty with honey paw. "But I didn't steal it on purpose! " She quietly realized this was a very lame excuse, though. Lets explain and try to clear things up a bit.
"It was on the floor. And I nibbled on it. Then the ratel came running and I guess I sort of just.. bit down. And ran. " Funny story, right? "I would give it back now, but I don't think he'd be thrilled to see me again, no matter the intention. "
--
At her explanation he chuckled, taking the piece in his paw. "That's just like you Ethi," he told her as he licked the honey from his paw before eating the piece she gave him. "You're always getting in some kind of trouble and something is always after your tail," he joked shaking his head trying to hide the large grin that adorned his features. "You never stop surprising me," he told her with a shrug as he swallowed, then licked his lips. "Have I missed anything else? No angry bees or anything right?"
--
She grinned. Yep, she did have a habit for trouble. And, coincidentally, trouble always had a thing for her tail. "I think my tail might have some sort of.. bait, that lures things. " Yes, that was an understandable theory. Maybe her tail was just cursed. She glanced back at it for a moment, while licking some honey off her piece. Mm, sweet. "Um.. Funny you should say that.. " A pause. "But that one was unprovoked. Honest. I was just sitting there! Then bzzzzzzzz... " Yeah, like she'd actually try to steal honey directly from bees. It was suicidal! Which might mean ratels were suicidal too, oops?
"But that was.. a few days ago. " Hm. Maybe she should do something about her bad luck. A good luck charm, or something., even if she didn't really believe in them. "Anything new with you? "
--
"Ethi," he sighed dropping his head. "What am I going to do with you?" He asked looking up at her with a frown on his face. Honestly he couldn't understand how she managed to get her into so much trouble. "Really now," he shook his head. "We'll just have to find you that lucky charm eh?" He asked cracking a smile to show that he really wasn't upset or anything, that he was just playing with her.
--
She smiled, flicking her tail. "I was just thinking about that! " She grinned. "What's lucky? " She pondered a bit. Maybe a pretty.. rock or something. Or rabbit foot... nah, that was just silly. It would rot, anyway.
--
He wrinkled his nose trying to think about it. "Y'know I'm not really sure, I think it all depends on the person really, like..." he paused trying to think about it. "I don't know what my lucky charm is but maybe it's Nguvu, I mean some pretty bad things happened after the earthquake..." his voice grew soft. "And I lost my sister but," he shook the sadness away, "then I met you and I became good friends with Ubele and I met the goddess of truth and she adopted me. And well I stopped fighting with people so much," he shrugged. "It's nice."
--
She nodded, dully noting the bit on his sister, and quietly wondering how it would feel if she lost Tanz right now. But she didn't bring that thought up, not wishing to bring up any bad memories. Or good ones, that would remind him how he would never do some things again. Or remind herself things like that. "It is. " She nodded quietly, smiling a bit. "I mean.. after my parents died I didn't really think things could look up again. " She hesitated. "Then I met Mapa then you and I still had Tanz and.. well, everything's nice now. " Not the same, never the same. But nice. And she quietly wondered if she would trade what she had now to having her parents back.
"Even if the fish seem to be too interested in my tail. "
--
"Maybe you're my good luck charm. I mean I was feeling down on my luck, getting into fights all the time," he paused remember the times, "then being too tired to even care about anything anymore, just giving in and not being well, myself. I worried some people, then with you," another pause as he smiled moving over and nudging her softly. "I felt like I could be myself and be a kid at the same time."
He sighed contently. "It's comforting." |
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Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:14 pm
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Ethi didn't mind heartfelt conversations like these, but she always took compliments (or what seemed like compliments) oddly so she was probably glad she was feline and incapable of blushing (curse of shy kids). Or, if she was capable of blushing, at least her fur would hide any shade of skin under that. It probably didn't help that she usually felt incapable of saying anything quite as nice. So she was momentarily happy by the distraction of a nudge, to paw half-playfully at him.
"Maybe you're my good luck charm too. " Well, it's not like bad (silly) things didn't happen to her when he was around, or she'd been getting into fights. But... "I was feeling down too. You really helped me get up on my feet again, and I'm thankful. " She probably could have done without the honey on her face right now.
--
Peke chuckled as he placed a paw on her shoulder. "I dunno, I always seem to find you in some, er, sticky situation," he replied with a grin as stepped back, dropping his paw as he did so. "We just really helped each other out didn't we?" He asked sinking down to his haunches. He tilted his head back to study the sky.
"It's funny, after the earthquake, losing my mother, then my sister and being chased by crazy outsiders I never thought there would be a time when I considered things to be...well..." He pause to look at her again. "Where things would be normal, but now. Now it seems like everything is just normal," he sighed. "It's like this is how things are supposed to be."
--
"Nuhuh! Water and fish aren't sticky. " She grinned innocently, though not totally sure about whether or not fish could be considered sticky. They were definitely -slimy-. ".. Honey is pretty sticky, though. " She pondered, thoughtfully licking some off a front paw. She'd somehow managed to get quite a bit on them, though she'd tried to be careful about that. Oh well!
"We did. " She nodded, smiling slightly and quietly wondering exactly how life here in Aka'Mleli would have been without Peke. She could quite safely say that he was her best friend. She pondered the next bit some. "I know what you mean. " The idea of anything besides life with her family being the norm had been incomprehensible at one point. Yet here she was.
--
"But they can cause other things to be," he paused to try and stop himself from laughing. "Sticky, like that mud we found ourselves in that one day." That was a good day in his memory. Actually it wasn't very long after they had first met, it had been perhaps his first real 'game' with anyone.
He was pretty sure she was one of his best friends, if not his best. If only because he found himself around her more than his own bonded or Ubele. "We should probably get cleaned up, Nguvu will throw a fit if I come home dirty again." He shook his head with a large grin as he pictured the raven scolding him.
--
"Mud is lumpy, too. " She nodded. and then it gets dry and awkward on your fur. She didn't particularly enjoy -that- part, when it came to mud. She'd rather mud wet, if anything.
"I thiink thats a good idea. " Not that she had anyone to scold her. (Mapatano didn't care, Hisa wouldn't argue if he didn't, and Tanz definitely didn't care. As if he were one to speak, if he did.) She took one more lick at a honey covered paw before actually standing up. "Lead the way! "
--
Wrinkling his nose he nodded, "Yeah it is, takes forever to get off too." He shuddered at that thought. Took him a couple of hours to get clean and even when he was clean he wasn't clean enough. "Let's not do that again..." He trailed off before he shook his head. "Let's do it again closer to a good source of water," he corrected.
"Alright then follow me." He declared turning away from her and making his way to the tail-fish-biting pond.
--
"Agreed! " She nodded, quietly remembering how long it took to get clean after their mudfight. She also remembered thinking it was worth it, because the mudfight had been ridiculous amounts of fun.
"Aye, aye! " She happily trotted after him, though speeding up a bit to be more-or-less next to him. "Lets hope the fish aren't feeling vengeful today. "
--
"I dunno, I don't think they were very happy with us when we left," Peke replied remembering the rock storm they had laid down on the fish. Payback fishies! He chuckled at the memory as he quickened his pace.
"Bet I'll beat ya there!" He declared glancing over at her. He had beaten her the first time and he was sure he could beat her again, but then again she had gotten a little bigger.
But so had he. He had more of an advantage, at least he thought so.
--
"That's true. Hmmm.. I wonder if we should end the war. " Though, she wasn't to keen with the idea of apologizing to fish. she wasn't even sure they could hear her underwater! Sadly, it took her a bit to react to the impromptu race. "Hey! " She shouted, bolting into action and running as quickly as she could to catch up to him.
"I think you got slower! " She declared, though she wasn't exactly passing him, she was rather close. Much closer than last time. ... Lets just hope he doesn't get some random burst of speed now. Cause Ethi can't really go much faster than this.
--
"Pfft, only if the fish admit defeat!" He replied as he focused on what was before him. It wouldn't do him any good to not be paying attention and trip over something. Not that it really mattered because he went and tripped anyway tumbling head first into the ground. Landing successfully on his back with one paw over his chest and the other splayed out to the side. "Ugh...." He moaned.
--
She laughed, yes, the fish should admit defeat. They didn't have a chance! (let's see if she thinks that when she see a shark) However, the amusement and the racing ended rather suddenly when she practically had to dodge a faceplanting Peke to not run over him, and skid to a halt. Uh-oh!
She hurried over, peering over Peke, now flat on his back, curiously. "You alive? "
--
He squeezed his eyes shut as if it would stop the feeling of the earth rotating beneath him, and as if it would stop his head from pounding. He had fallen pretty hard, what had he tripped over? Oh yeah, nothing but his own feet.(Good thing someone else wasn't around or he would never be able to live it down) As someone's shadow covered his frame he weakly opened one of his eyes before swatting at the owner of the shadow.
"Go away," he groaned rolling over and curling into himself.
--
Ethi frowned, watching his face in confusion, though rather incapable of predicting the swat. She blinked as his paw weakly hit her face. Rather pathetically, actually. So her best reaction was to just stare almost comically as it fell away. Ethi knew better than to take offense with that, though. Or even with the request to go away. She might actually have left another time, but perhaps now she felt comfortable enough to react differently. "Nope! "
And with that, she plopped down nearby and crossed her front paws. "You hit your head preeetty bad. So, it probably isn't good if you like.. pass out here alone, or something! " Yeah, like she'd be able to save him if some random predator decided a disoriented lion would be just deeelicious.
--
Peke groaned again rolling over to his side and covering his head with his paws. Why, oh why did he have to fall? He thought he had become better that, well better at being what one would call...er...graceful he mused. He was sure that the days of being a stumbling cub was well behind him, and apparently he was very very wrong. Perhaps the fact that he was growing that he had once again become awkward in balance. Well whatever the reason was, his head still hurt.
He opened one eye to stare at the monochromatic female hovering above him. "Yeah, like you'll scare anything away," he teased reaching out to bat at her. Looks like the grumpy butt was feeling better.
--
She frowned, ouch. That groan definitely sounded like it hurt. Well, she supposed the hurting part was obvious, groan or not. It's almost implied that you'll feel pain after a faceplant. Fortunately, though, he seemed to be feeling a little better now, since he didn't seem all that intent in making her leave anymore. Victory!
"Of course I will! " She huffed indignantly. "Look at my scary face! " Ethi insisted, putting on her best 'mean' face, which probably just looked either funny or very pathetic. Or both. "No one stands a chance against me. "
--
He tried not to laugh at her 'scary face' since it was all to hilarious to the young male. He couldn't laugh, that'd be mean...not to mention it hurt his already throbbing head. And that simply wouldn't do. Nope. He just wouldn't have it. "No one stands a chance eh?" He asked as he rolled back onto his back, grabbed her shoulders (well as much as a lion can grab) and proceeded to try and knock her over and stand on top of her.
"Betcha I can."
--
Ethi was just considering a demonstration of her scariness, which would probably be angrily batting a harmless leaf, when suddenly paws were coming at her and she squeaked, flailing her front paws as Peke successfully pinned her. The smaller female wiggled for a little bit before giving up.
"Well, um. That's because I'm going easy on you, because your injured and all. " Well, they both knew -that- wasn't true, but it must be said!
--
Success! He couldn't help but puff out his chest just a little. Hey! Was it so wrong to be proud of himself? Maybe. Okay probably since he knew she didn't stand a chance against him, even if he was injured. He was already bigger than her, and she wasn't exactly what he would call...strong.
"Liar," he replied leaning in to nudge her cheek with his nose. "We both know that's not true, even without my special lie detecting powers."
--
"Pfft.. " she made that 'I'm not convinced' face, though it didn't really last long. "Fine, so people can stand a chance against me. Lets just not tell them that! " She smiled triumphantly, though well aware of how silly a solution that was.
"Besides, if they don't believe I'm scary, I could just lie to them and say I have a big mean friend that can save me! " Nodnod. Not everyone had Peke's special power, right? "Who would wanna risk that? "
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:11 am
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He chuckled, shaking his head. "Silly little Ethi," he teased. "Now who's gonna believe that, even if it is true?" He questioned still leaning in close to her face. Let's hope he didn't have bad breath, that'd be embarrassing. "You'd be surprised at what a person will be willing to risk in order to get what they want."
He shuddered at the memory of the outsiders, how the witch had broken Nguvu's wing in order to get information which lead to her finding him.
--
Hmm, he did have a point. "Then I guess I need another plan. " Ethi pondered, not seeming bothered by still being pinned. "Maybe I can pretend to be on their side! " Aha! "Like a.. triple agent. Or.. I could just run. " But usually bigger people are also faster. How unfortunate.
"I could always hide in a burrow, too. If I get in one in time! " Though, that'd have to be a very conveniently placed burrow.
--
"I think they'd eat you first," he teased stepping off of her and flopping to his belly by her side. "But you don't have to worry about it, I won't let anything happen to you. Ever." He told her confidently. He wasn't going to let what happened to Kuruka happen to Ethi, or any of his friends. Well that was really only Ethi, Ubele and Nguvu. That was kinda sad, but he didn't care they were important to him regardless. "I promise."
--
"Probably. " Hm, troubling. Any attacker would probably successfully eat her. Umm.. that wasn't exactly good. Lets hope growing to a size where you're not completely pathetic doesn't take too long.
"Really? " She rolled onto her belly, batting playfully at him. "How are you gonna do that? "
--
"Really." He replied placing his paws on top of hers. "Well I'm already bigger than you, I have a bonded and I like to think that I can put up one hell of a fight if I have to." He didn't mention that most of the time he had been running the times he had the chance to fight but he had been an itty-bitty cublet against a full-fledged adult she-witch lion. Anyone in his position would've run.
"The how doesn't matter, just know that it'll happen."
--
Ethi smiled. "Okay. " she nodded, glancing briefly at his paws over her. It was nice to know she had people to count on here. "I trust you. " She nodded, glancing back up at him. "And if all else fails, we can always tag-team! " She grinned. Yep, having one more on your side always helped! Considering it wasn't against.. well, a lot more bigger things.
--
"They won't know who to attack then!" He agreed picturing them attempting to double team something bigger than them. "I won't let anything happen to you, ever." He repeat for what was like the seventh time in the last few minutes. He settled his head on his paws, which he had pulled back. "Because you're my best friend, I'm not sure what I'd do without you."
--
"Yup! " She nodded, getting up only to flop a bit closer, just in reach to nibble on one of his ears. "We'll be like an unstoppable force! " Yes, no one would stand a chance! ... well, lots of people would stand a chance, but lets pretend not.
--
He batted at her softly as she nibbled on an ear. "Maybe. We can just pretend we are." He joked reaching out to pull her closer to him. He was suddenly tired but he didn't want to go to sleep yet, well not if he wasn't sure that it'd be 'safe' persay. "We always have fun you know that?" He mumbled a little sleepily.
--
"Sounds like a plan. " She grinned, happily settling down next to Peke, giving up on nibbling on his ear. Not too unlike him, she was starting to get a little sleepy, if only because running from a badger could be somewhat tiring. "Yep! " He was definitely right about that, it seemed there was always something fun to do when Peke was around.
"You sound sleepy! " She commented.
--
He smiled as he closed his eyes, he couldn't help it, he just wanted to sleep and now that he was sure she was next to him he felt like he might be able to. Sleep came easier to him now, he no longer feared dreaming. "Do I?" He asked cracking one eye open. "Well so do you!" he teased.
--
"Yup! " She would nod, but right now that just seemed like too much of an effort. "No I.. " Yawn. "Okay, maybe. " She conceded, resting her head on her paws. "Maybe we should take a nap. "
--
"I think we should, you spent a lot of the day running, sleep sounds so..." he trailed off with a yawn as he closed his eyes again. "good." he finished curling his tail around the both of them.
-- Fin
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