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 Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:54 pm
 The day was warm and bright, and Kahvu lazed happily out front of the den, listening to the sounds of the birds and various other creatures. A refreshing breeze blew by, ruffling Kahvu's fur; he thought he could almost hear it whispering to him.
Like most other nights, Kahvu hadn't slept the night before, and laying in the sun, it's warmth on his fur, was making him quite drowsy, so he decided to get up and wander among the pride. He had just risen to his paws when he heard movement from the other side of the den. Normally, he would have just continued on his way, but the noise stopped suddenly and Kahvu found himself interested.
"Hello?", he called. "Hey, anyone there?" Kahvu started padding around the den, toward the source of the noise.
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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:32 pm
 Mkinaifu was completely blissfully unaware of the presence of any of his siblings as he sat amongst the swaying grass, being momentarily hypnotized by it. The gentle breeze ruffled his fur the same way it ruffled the grass; the young cub found this small fact simply enjoyable. His tail flicked very lightly behind him in contentment. The voices that he heard, they seemed to pick up too... The harder the wind blew, the louder they spoke in response. Everything seemed to be connected through the muses; he loved it.
Oddly enough, he rather enjoyed times like this- when he got to be alone and let those thoughts and feelings overtake him. When he did, he could almost... almost make out what they were saying; the muses. Their murmuring became more spaced... One way or another, he felt more in touch with everything around him... He just had to wait for one of those things to catch him, to take him up. That's what his mother said, anyway. Something would pick him- and to be honest, Fu was a little worried that they would not only pick him, but feud over him. He had blue eyes, after all- that meant he was blessed by the goddess of these lands. Hopefully the muses would not become angry with one another over him.
He looked around at all of the things surrounding him, pondering which one would claim him.... "So who will it be?" he asked quietly to the fabric of nature- every muse. "And when...?" he asked with a headtilt.
Seemed someone was nearby, though, and he was pulled out of his reverie. The cub was on his feet in an instant, concerned about who could be around. His reflexes were faster than his mind, though- Fu knew the voice to belong to one of his brothers. He peeked out from behind a rock that had been obscuring the two from seeing each other. "Oh, hey Kahvu!" He said, perking up. Most others he either would have hidden from or just plain not responded, but his brother was safe. He padded up to him with a smile. "I'm there! Or... well, I guess I used to be there, now I'm here..." he said with a confused look on his face, which was soon replaced with a little smile. "Whatcha doin'?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:45 pm
"Oh, it's you", Kahvu remarked with a smile, "I was wondering who was lurking around back here."
Kahvu closed the distance between himself and his brother, and let their flanks touch for the briefest of moments - a simple touch to signify their closeness. A closeness that Kahvu felt was stronger than with the rest of the lions he knew, even his other family members. He didn't know why, but he felt happier and more comfortable around Fu than he did with anyone else, even Bawa. He shrugged it off as brotherly love.
"I was just about to wander about the other lions. Do you want to come with? Or we could do something else, if you can think of anything."
Now that he was with is brother, Kahvu didn't think he needed to worry about falling asleep, so venturing into the pride probably wasn't necessary anymore. He was sure Fu and him could find something to entertain themselves, even if they just sat around and talked.
Turning his attention back to his brother, he looked over at Fu and tilted his head questioningly.
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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 7:02 pm
Fu returned the little bump affectionately. There were very few who he'd give a bump to- most of his siblings. Breenie was one who he would give a very very reluctant bump to- she scared the living daylights out of him. But his mother would often insist on it. Beyond his family, he wasn't really comfortable talking to them, let alone touching them- they could carry a disease, they could whap at him! Or they could tell him really scary stories... the possibilities of what they could do to him were endless.
While on his own, Fu would almost never choose to go and talk to some lions outside of his own family, he would probably go with his brother. Though, he had to admit, he wasn't too comfortable with that either. It would be better than going alone, though.
"Hmmm.." He muttered as he sat on his haunches and thought of something they could do that both of them would enjoy.
"Well, I guess we could go exploring?" he offered. "As long as we don't go anywhere too dangerous- but we might find some cool stuff if we meander around. And if we run into someone..." he said, thoughts ahead of his words, "Then we'll maybe stop and talk for a little bit," he felt safer with his brother, so that was acceptable. He might pop a few sentences into a conversation with one.
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:57 am
Exploring? That seemed to be the only thing his siblings ever wanted to do, and Kahvu didn't understand why; really, all you ever found was more grass, more trees and plants, more rocks, and the sea - it never changed. Wandering through the pride, you always found some "unique" lion.
Then again, maybe they'd meet a new animal, and that would be interesting. Kahvu had never actually MET a new animal before, only seen them scampering away from him.
"Exploring sounds fun," he said, "The other lions are all either boring or really weird anyways. Let's go."
Kahvu smiled at his brother to try to cover up his little lie. Although what he said about the other lions was true, he tried to make it seem like that DIDN'T interest him.
Starting toward the jungle, he paused and looked back at Fu over his shoulder.
"This way?" Kahvu hoped that Fu wanted to go to the jungle, not the sea. There was probably a much higher chance of meeting another creature among the trees.
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 11:42 am
"Mmm, I agree, I don't wanna meet with other lions," Fu said with a nervous nod at the thought. They were all up to something. Just what, he couldn't put his paw on, but something, for certain. He didn't pick up on his brother's dismay at all, and was certain that they would have a safely fun time exploring whatever it was they were going to explore.
Likewise, he was also very relieved when Kahvu chose to head away from the sea- there was nothing good there, he was convinced. That big body of water was bound to just swallow him up, or else serve him to the large fishes present in its waters. Mkinaifu just couldn't take that risk- the ocean held too many mysteries.
"This way!" he exclaimed in agreement, putting a little spring in his step- Fu was much more confident around his siblings, generally, and especially around his brothers. He even let a full-fledged smile situate itself on his muzzle. Fu might not be able to do much, but he was sure that he'd be safe with his brother- Kahvu looked strong, he thought. "So, what do ya think we'll find?" he asked, blue eyes wide.
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Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:42 am
Kahvu had no idea what they might find among the trees; he hoped they'd run into some interesting creatures, like a lizard, or one of those small cat-like Servals he'd heard so much about. But, mentioning this to Fu meant there was a good chance they'd be turning around before they'd even reached the jungle.
"Probably some cool plants. I hear there's even a bunch of rocks that looks like a lion out there."
Kahvu's entire body was just tingling with excitement, adrenaline coursing through him. Even if they didn't meet any new animals, just being in the jungle - with all it's intriguing sounds and sights - was a treat.
"Especially with Fu," whispered a voice in his head, in a dreamy tone.
Kahvu shook his head, confused. He supposed it was nice to be alone with Fu, but he didn't really think it was BETTER than being with any of his other siblings. He shrugged it off; it didn't seem important enough to try to figure out.
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Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:13 pm
"Ooo, cool plants? I hope none of them are poisonous... But I'll bet mom can use some, don't you think?" he asked with a head-tilt and a grin, doing his best at pushing out of his mind that they'd find only poisonous plants. Besides, plants were his mother's muse, he was sure that if he told them that he was her son, they would excuse him, or show some mercy. Yes, that had to be it. His mind focused on how happy his mother would be with him. Plus, maybe his muse would find him! He could hope, he could hope. Certainly, though, they could find a stash that mom didn't know about yet, and he was sure she could even use poisons, if she needed. After all, she and dad were awesome at taking care of bad guys!
"And rocks... they won't fall on us, will they?" He asked, hoping not. "If they don't, I think I'd like to see that. Unless it's a scary-looking rock."
That thought brewed in his head- a rock with glowing evil eyes, slowly turning to look at him, then bats all flying out of its mouth coming to bite him! He gritted his teeth and widened his eyes at the thought, and the cub gave his own head a shake to clear it, though he walked closer to his brother now than he had before.
They were entering the forest, and certainly those rocks wouldn't sneak up on him. Besides, Kahvu was here, and they were going to have a good time!
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:07 pm
Kahvu couldn't stop the fond smile from creeping onto his face as his brother started his normal bouts of worry.
"We don't have to actually touch the plants. That way they can't harm us even if they ARE poisonous."
As his littermate's rant reached the fears about rocks, he paused for a split second. With one paw frozen in midstep, he glanced at Fu out of the corner of his eye. Sometimes, he found it hard to believe that this particular brother was actually related to him. His mother and father were so brave and strong, and his other littermates - mostly meaning Bawa, as he didn't talk to the others much - seemed to have inherited the traits as well as he had. But Fu was always so timid and cautious. Maybe when his muse found him, he would come out of his shell a bit more; but until then, Kahvu committed himself to protecting him as well as he could. Courageous or not, Fu was his brother, and Kahvu adored him. He gave his head a quick shake and, chuckling about how ridiculous Fu's fears could sometimes be, continued walking again.
Calmly, he replied, "I'm sure the rocks are perfectly safe, and not the least bit scary."
As the two cubs entered the shadows of the trees, Kahvu brushed his flank comfortingly against his brother's. As their sides touched, he felt a strange tingle pass through his fur, as if a wave of electric energy had swept over him. He wondered briefly if he was coming down with something, but quickly dismissed the feeling as just a shiver.
Turning to Fu and smiling, he said, "Come on, I think the Lion Rocks are this way.", and trotted off to the right.
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Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:33 pm
"Oh, that's good. I guess... Well, unless the plants decide to move and bite us, I suppose they won't really hurt you if you don't touch or eat them, huh?" he said sheepishly. He knew that he could be tiring to some, with his worrying and consistent daydreaming... His family seemed to suffer the most from this, mainly since they were the only ones he ever comfortably hung out with. Strangers, even other pride members, were typically avoided by him. They were dangerous, if you didn't have someone to protect you- the world was a dangerous place. Only the muses and your family could be trusted, of all of the things that one could run into. And while most of the world was made of muses, he didn't think you could be too safe until one had chosen you.
After all- he had blue eyes, which made him somewhat special, he was told. The way he saw it, he hoped the muses wouldn't fight amongst themselves over him. He could hear their murmur, always. He was always tuned-in enough to hear their whispers, but not well enough to detect a single word they were saying. That was troubling to him- he couldn't wait to have one to talk to. From what his mother said, it was apparently quite pleasant to talk to them.
Kahvu's reassurance put him at ease, somewhat. Enough that he was continuing to pad onward with him, anyway. He even managed to keep something of a smile on his face as they went forward, though the back of his mind was keeping focused on any stray snaps of trees or random bird calls. His ears twitched back and forth in attentiveness, but he was desensitized enough to such things to manage to not jump at every sound. Perhaps the cub wasn't completely a lost cause.
"Alright!" he said and bounded after Kahvu. "You seem to know where you're going, right? Like, how to get us out of here when we're ready to go home?" he said as they pushed through some foliage to hopefully reach the rocks. He kept a temporary mental map, but he didn't know for sure if it would be enough.
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Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:16 pm
"Uuuh, yeah. I know the way back." On the inside, Kahvu wasn't so sure that they wouldn't end up lost, but saying so to T'aka would only cause a premature end to their adventure.
As they started to push onward through the plants, Kahvu kept his eyes and ears open for any signs of trouble. While he wasn't nearly as cautious as his brother, he still made sure to be alert and prepared for anything when he went on his little journeys. His muscles were always coiled, ready to defend from danger, or run from any threats he couldn't possibly beat - even though he usually hides that fact.
Padding onward, he began to realize that he actually DIDN'T know where they were going. He'd overheard a description of the path to the Lion Rocks, and decided to try to find them, but he couldn't find any of the landmarks that they should have passed by now. Instinctively, he moved closer to T'aka, both to draw comfort from his presence and to ensure that if anything should threaten them, he could protect him.
In order to avoid upsetting T'aka, he didn't mention that he had no idea where they were and instead said, in the calmest voice he could manage, "You know, I just thought. We see lions every single day, why bother going to find some rocks shaped like a lion? Boring, much! Why don't we try to -"
He stopped speaking abruptly and his head whipped to the left, where he was positive he had just heard rustling. With his ears perked forward as far as they would go, he focused intently on the bushes where the noise had come from. For a moment, there was silence, and he was about to dismiss it as nothing when the noise came again - a little more behind them, and a lot louder. His hackles bristled and his whole body tensed as he turned to face the noise, pressing against his brother protectively and baring his teeth in a snarl.
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:22 pm
"Oh good," he said, feeling somewhat more at ease, though he could never be completely content. What if Kahvu were to find a cliff and tumble down it! Or what if a giant snake slithered by and snapped him up! So many things could happen to him, none in their control. The corners of his mouth slouched downwards for a moment as these thoughts crossed behind his eyes, but he tried to push them away. Instead as a comfort, he gave his head a little shake, moved a little closer to Kahvu as they padded onwards, and kept an ear out for the quiet drone of the muses in the background.
Hmm, his brother did have a point. Rocks shaped like lions might be a little mundane. "They could be scary too," he muttered out loud as the thought came to mind. What if the rocks were snarling at him? Or had sharp claws? What if they were precariously placed and were going to fall on them!
Something much more immediately scary snapped his attention though. His brother quit talking. Mkinaifu nearly lept out of his skin, ears as straight up as they could be from the sound. He had jumped so suddenly towards his brother that he may have bumped him too hard, but the contact was something he needed. He made some sort of small yelp, quickly thinking that he had probably drawn the attention of the predator by doing so. He yelped again at the second sound, unable to find words to express to his brother. He was sure there was no need to do so, Kahvu must have known his terror. He lowered his body to the ground and tucked his ears tight to his head, starting to shiver as he cowered behind his brother. The best he could muster for sound was a weak "Kahvu," as he dreaded whatever was coming, and coming fast.
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Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:40 am
'Fu's terror only lent to Kahvu's strength. He started to snarl quietly; unfortunately, being a cub, it didn't sound quite as formidable as he thought. Tiny claws slid from their sheaths. He was totally ready for whatever was hiding in that bush. Suddenly, he began to feel funny - a little unbalanced, his vision blackening at the edges. He tried to fight it, but he couldn't, and he blacked out. ------- Hasi came snarling to the surface in a whirl of rage. How dare anything threaten Mkinaifu! It's probably a creature just like father - picking on everyone weaker than him to make himself feel better.The fur on her spine lifted straight up and she let out a vicious hiss. They had been enjoying their day up until now! She faced the bushes, legs spread out for stability, teeth and claws readied. "Don't worry, Fu. I won't let anything hurt you", she snarled. Of course, to Fu, this was just his brother. Same appearance, same voice - he probably wouldn't even know. In fact, Hasi didn't even know. She was always under the surface, and even though she didn't always say or do what she was thinking, she experienced everything the same as Ni'Kahvu did. She wasn't even aware of his existence, or the fact that she inhabited his body. To her, it was only her, living with the family that had adopted her after her father's violent mental break.
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Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 5:55 pm
Fu found himself quite immobile, frozen in fear and unable to move. Save for his sapphire eyes and his ears, both of which were swapping from his darker brother to the woods around them, trying to decide what to focus on. What if the thing eats Kahvu? What if he still can't move after Kahvu is in trouble? What if the very sand beneath him was conducting power from the terrible being in the woods? It could be that his paralysis was a terrible trap, set by the unseen beast, and only those with the blessing of blue eyes are affected...
Mkinaifu could hardly hear anymore; the sound of the muses had gone from a faint and distant whisper to a dull roar in his ears- their voices still incomprehensible. His ears started to sink dully on his head as they were of little use, though his eyes continued to dart around. The best he could eek out in response to Kahvu was a small whimpering noise as he cowered, waiting for the event to be over.
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:02 am
Light Atago Sorry that took me so long. For size reference for the hyrax, there's this picture. Warning, the hyrax is being killed by a leopard. There's no blood or anything, but it's still not pretty. It's just to show they can get pretty big. The other image below is just a picture of one, so you know what they look like if you don't already. They're quite cute. Hasi stood squarely between Fu and the rustling bush, completely prepared for whatever danger lay ahead. The fact that she was only a juvenile meant nothing to her, not with Fu in danger. As the rustling grew more intense, she lowered her head and bunched her muscles. Every hair on her pelt was prepared to pounce at the first opportunity. As the rustling reached it's climax, a growl started low in Hasi's belly - only to be cut short when as a hyrax strode casually from the undergrowth. Aggression turned to surprise; Hasi's head shot up and her ears pricked forward, her eyes wide and curious. Her tension relieved, she couldn't help but purr with amusement. "This little guy is what we were so frightened of?" she chuckled. "Boy do I ever feel silly."Fur still spiked, Hasi leaned forward and stretched her neck out, sniffing experimentally at the creature. In truth, it was almost the same size as the two young lions, but - even though neither had seen one until now - it was easy to tell from it's scent that it was a herbivore. She knew from her biological mother's lessons, and one of her bio brother's run-ins with a porcupine, that just because something didn't eat meat didn't mean it couldn't cause pain. For example, this creature had a wicked looking claw on it's hind foot. But she still wanted to investigate the hyrax so she did so from a respectful distance. Turning her head slightly so she could look at Fu while still keeping an eye on the hyrax, Hasi mewed, "I don't think it's dangerous as long as we don't startle it. Did you want to come see?"
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