He was tired. Adolescent now, and in the point of training to become a Tu'azan, Tulivu found himself tired often. Stretching himself, he let his claws dig into fresh dirt, shaking out his tuft of silvery mane, blue eyes distant as ever. The young Seer was still hesitant to let anyone in beyond the walls he'd built, even his own family. Currently padding towards a lake, he was trying to find a place where he could lay down and rest for a moment. Night meant a time for him to take it easy...well, night, nearing dawn. Most of his pride mates were settling down about now after all.
There was another who was still awake, however, Charon was walking about after a long day of training for his own adult rank. Yawning a bit, he wandered over toward that same lake, unaware that his brother was already there. However, he grinned upon seeing the other and called, "Hey, Tuli! Long day?" Padding over, he flopped down beside the other, heedless of any (possible) want for privacy.
Blue eyes fluttered open, and he gazed calmly at his brother, blinking a bit, "Yes....It has been quite....the day. Training for becoming a Tu'azan is difficult...." His smile was sleepy and worn, "But I am still sure this is where I am meant to be." His eyes fluttered shut again, as he made doubly sure the barrier of his mind was up, hoping none of his unwanted 'dreams' would plague his mind as he lay beside the other.
"Hey, Sinta'har isn't exactly a breeze," Charon commented, tail-tip twitching. Then he blinked when the other's eyes closed. "Heeeey c'mon, you're not gonna sleep yet are you? It'll still be dark for a while... come lady-hunting with me," he suggested, nudging his brother's shoulder.
Tuli blinked, a bit shocked "......Lady..hunting?" He didn't understand. Sure, he was an adolescent, just like his brother, but the boy's interest in girls? Well....It was kinda....nonexistant. As a Tu'azan, his attention had been more on learning the ways of the PRIDE, not on.....silly things like girls. "It sounds silly....Not something to spend such time on...."
"Yeeesss, lady-hunting," Charon replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Suddenly, a rather horrified look crossed the young lion's face. "Don't tell me ... you've -never- ... been with a female..?" he asked, clearly shocked. "It's DEFINITELY not silly, I can tell you that..."
The male sighed softly, looking vaguely peeved, "...No. I've never been with a female, brother. I have more important things to attend to. I have to learn the ways of the Pride, and ensure that, should trouble arise, I am ready to deal with it accordingly." Giving him a look of boredom, he murmured, "Surely you don't expect me to believe that being 'with' a female is worth more than that?"
"More important!" Charon all-but sputtered, staring at the other. "Isn't having more cubs to make the pride grow important too?" he challenged. After all, all work and no play ... well. He didn't want his brother to end up some old fart who'd never even -sampled- the small joys of life.
Sighing softly, he glanced aside, "I suppose so.....I do think that we need cubs to help the Pride grow...but..." He looked away, now looking shy and unsure, "...I am not good with touching others, brother......and.....since THEY are random..." He referred to his visions. He hated them sometimes, since they often came at the most inconvenient of times, "....I do not know....about this..."
Oh right. Charon winced slightly. That could put something of a damper on things. "Well then ... we'll just have to hunt -extra- hard for someone that's ...calm. Or something," he suggested - rather lamely actually. This was a price of demons. Just about all of them had something dark in their past.
Sighing softly, he raised himself to his paws, shaking the dirt from his pelt, "I suppose, brother, if you insist I find myself....a.....female.....I could manage to do so...." Giving the other an awkward, out of place smile, since he was quite used to being serious and frowning most of the time, he murmured, "With....some assistance of course."
"Well of course! What else are brothers for?" Charon asked, standing up as well - looking rather eager. He led the other off toward the dens then, tail-tip twitching. "So ... if you want someone quiet ... hm. That could be hard. We should first try to figure out where -every- female is right now. Except those with mates."
He blinked, ".....But.....I suppose as long as they're serious....It doesn't matter too terribly...." He didn't like promiscuous and silly females. They weren't worth the serious male's time. No.....He wanted someone devoted to their pride....serious and strong....
"Well, that makes it a little easier! And harder at the same time..." Charon admitted, nose wrinkling a bit. "Sounds like you want an older woman. Someone already an adult, with a rank they know and are serious about..." Hey, it made sense to -him-. "But the problem is, we're 'too young' for them, or some s**t. So most times they won't pay attention." He sighed dramatically.
He blinked, "Why not wait until a female has grown, then? They surely become more serious once they are adults....right?" He asked curiously, tipping his head. Striding forwards, beside his brother, on even paws, he still did not quite understand what his brother was saying. How did that make any sense?
"Not all of them," Charon replied, shaking his head with a faint grin. "But some, yea. I thought you wanted to do this with me, though," he went on, pouting slightly at the other. "No harm in a little challenge, right? Or are you afraid all the adults would shove you off?"
The pout on the other's face set him back, and he blinked, staring. Was his brother really telling him that he was a...coward? "I am not afraid, Charon....I simply wonder at....just how wise this decision is..." Shifting on his paws, he murmured, "What does it prove if I am capable of talking an adult female into becoming my potential mate?
..... "Wait. I'm not talkin about -mating- here," Charon said, feelin suddenly as if he should slap a paw over his face. "Just... messing around. Playing, y'know? Little tumble behind the rocks?" Geeeeeeeez. "There -are- times when it's okay t'just let go. Y'know?" Except clearly his brother -didn't- know.
Tulivu was more confused than ever, ".....But....Simply.....doing that....without the intent of procreation....is that.....right?" He seemed to be debating now, ".....A 'tumble behind the rocks'.......That does not seem....wise....what if you accidentally create a cub? Then you should stay with that female due to what you have done." He seemed so damn serious too...
Charon blinked. "Nooo ... not really. There's the Yana'hin and Yana'hine, remember?" he pointed out. "I mean, that's kinda the point but not REALLY the point ... eerm." Maybe a different tack. "Say you finally do find a mate someday. And then, what if you don't know what to DO? Isn't it better to practice first? Hmm?"
That seemed to strike Tuliv's mind. Relaxing for a moment, he seemed to take it into consideration, "....I suppose you are right, brother....It would be wisest if we were to have....experience with such things first, wouldn't it?" His tail flicked back and forth, and a tiny smile flickered over his maw, then it disappeared, "Alright. I suppose that's acceptable."
"Exactly!" Charon replied at that, with a quick grin. So ... "Hey, look there," he pointed with a paw and a tilt of his head. "A likely group." Gathered over near one of the den entrances was a fairly mixed group of young females, some older and some more their own age. "You wanna go in first, or me?"
Nosing his brother gently, he murmured, "You go first. I am the inexperienced one, after all." Okay, so THAT had ulterior motive. If Charon got shot down, Tulivu wanted to see if he could perchance have better luck. Just a friendly competition between brothers...right?
"Oh sure... just -watch- the master work," Charon replied at that, puffing himself up a bit. He tossed his short mane then and headed for the group, smiling - a bit of a saunter to his step. Had to show his brother how it was -done- after all.
