Peering out of the refuge of the trees, the white pelted lion evaluated the situation; on one hand... he knew where he wanted to stay. On the other hand, he knew that there was no way the object of his thoughts would stay put in this place much longer.
She was a bird. Free. And she needed to roam the land... it was the way she was. Despite this, he still wanted to keep the peace he'd found on this lands. Both he and Aviva had gone on a journey to seek their muses out and though the results were... .confusing, he couldn't run away from them any longer. So thus why Mundoo left the shelter of the trees, padding out into the open beach to seek out Hadithi. He peered at the ocean lightly, and surprised himself when he lowered his maw down to look at his reflection upon the retreating waters, silently asking it where he might find the large king.
It wouldn't answer though; of course it would. Why should it?
As if by some unnatural call, the object of his search came strolling up behind him only a few moments later. Hadithi wasn't psychic, of course, but he did have impeccable timing. The larger, darker male grinned his signature grin, "Strange to see a specter so early in the morning."
Oh yes, it might be mean to tease the poor male.. but he couldn't help it. Hadithi, of course, meant no harm by it, but who knew how Mundoo might react. He padded up close enough that the waves lapped up over his paws in welcome.
He chuckled mildly; the sound was still bitter, granted, but the place, the people in it, and even things that he wasn't still yet aware of were healing him... slowly but surely, "Even specters need help sometimes."
It was as much of a confession as he was willing to offer for the time being, his gaze still fixed on his image, reflected upon the waters. Then slowly, he lifted his head and regard the other male, for the first time offering just the smallest nods, a sign that he'd come to accept the authority at least, "I was looking for you, actually," he eyed the waters with a grimace, refusing to voice the fact he'd asked them, too, about the king's location, if only silently.
"yes, even they," Hadithi laughed and leaned down to nose a shell that had come pushed up to his feet in the moments after he'd stopped there. The lion turned it over to find that it had a rather beautiful underside--mother of pearl-- and he smiled to himself and pushed it further up the shore with one paw. Such things were beautiful gifts and someone in the pride might like to use it. "Is it my help you need?"
Hadithi was rather surprised by this--he'd thought it might be Nyonji that would approach him like this, not.... well, it didn't matter. They were a good couple and he wouldn't mind either. Mundoo seemed to have lightened up a little since his first days, after all.
He'd watched Hadithi nose the shell out of the water and towards the shore, out the corner of an eye, granted... but it was enough; he saw the way the shell looked rough, jagged, and then, on the inside seemed to almost shine. He gulped down saliva, finding the movement and the scene rather symbolic for some odd reason.
Sitting himself down, even where the water lapped at his form, the white male nodded gruffly for a moment, then paused and looked at Hadithi, "Yeah... I do," after a moment's pause he looked off towards the ocean, "I know I'm different; specially different from you guys... but this place... it's not that bad," anyone whom had spent any given time with Mundoo would have instantly translated that for what it really meant; he liked this place. He liked it more than a bit... more than a lot, really.
"I was wondering if you'd not mind a Specter haunting this place," after a moment he turned to face Hadithi, "For ever. Like the moon haunts the sky, I'd protect this place."
Settling in kind with his peer, Hadithi wrapped his tail about himself as well. He didn't mind the cold touch of the ocean, he never had, and rather thought this place a wonderful setting for such a talk. Protect this place? Hadithi chuckled. It was a... traditional position they'd not found a filler for. He never would have denied the male a place here but... well. There were requirements for more than that. Yet, Mundoo didn't seem to be asking for familial status...
"Different is rarely a bad thing," Hadithi replied, shaking his head, "We don't mind different... even that of the Spectral bent." He waited to see what Mundo would say to that.
Hardly; the male wasn't even aware that such a role required a position at all. In fact, he was talking in general really... protecting that what he cared for; what he'd come to feel for. What better way to show that one cared but by protecting? Words were clumsy, and usually didn't mean much.... Mundoo wasn't good with words, never had. However, protecting, despite his size, was something he could see himself doing. It was something familiar; something he could do.
"No, different is usualy not a bad thing.... but it is also true that others push away and refuse to touch that what they do not understand. Different is usually misunderstood," he paused and frowned at the ocean, "It's hardly an excuse, really," but it was the truth, he thought to himself as he finaly turned to watch Hadithi, an eerie smirk touching his maw, "This specter wouldn't let anything happen to his haunt."
"Yet you've found in your place filled with those that.. aren't usually understood." Hadithi replied with a certain amusement. "Haunt, you most certainly may. We would appreciate the haunting of such a specter, I think." That much he could offer him, at least. It was good to have friends in the surrounding area, after all."
"A place that... doesn't judge me on appearances," he lifted his head and allowed the ocean breeze to blow against his mane, "It's refreshing; new," he seemed to pause again and looked troubled; he fidgeted for a moment, placing his weight from one paw to the other; he seemed to drop the pretext from before and looked seriously at the king, "Nyoni's leaving; I can feel it in the air. She's a free spirit. She needs to roam, it is the way she is, but I..." he looked at the trees and the water; the place had tugged at him, "I would like to join you; formally. If I may. What do I have to do?"
There it was, what Hadithi had been... well, wanting to hear. "You have to want to.. so you're half there already," Hadithi smirked, though not unkindly. "And then you must... listen." The lion cocked an ear to the ocean as it whispered something to him.. but that was the most clue Mundoo would be given. "The answer will come to you if you're ready to hear it."
His ears twitched at the words, a frown creasing his features mildly, his head tilting to one side, "Listen?" his more childish side showed then; curious, willing.... then frustrated, almost like a child that had been denied the cookie jar that was just barely out of reach.
He stayed like that for a long time, then turned to watch the direction in which the other male had focussed his ears. It was true that he was rarely social enough to join in the conversations Nyoni had with the monarchs, however, he'd heard them. He knew the rules of the pride and the beliefs, from both Hadithi's own maw during stormy nights in the coves, and Misae's melodic voice as she talked to the gypsy dancer.
It dawned on him then; it passed over his features as his eyes widened and he looked up to the sky. It was day time, and he could barely see it... hear it. But it was there. He turned to face Hadithi, the hints of a smirk marring his features, "I can't; not during the day. It's asleep."
Hadithi's eyebrows rose. He already knew? THAT boded well... very well indeed. That oh-so-familiar, easy grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and he laughed with pure joy. "The moon!" it should have been obvious the moment it came up. "Welcome, brother.. welcome."
He chuckled mildly as Hadithi too grasped the hint; how could he not? That grin was infectious, "We're alike, it and I. Someone told me it was a specter in the night sky... and that it, unlike the sun, shone with the light others shone on it."
It was then a soft voice drifted to them from the side, "I told you that," Nyoni smiled as she approached the duo, taking the time to sit herself to their side, taking a deep breath of the ocean air, closing her eyes, allowing the breeze to sway her bells, "I told you of the story of the moon, too, and how lonely it was."
"Ahh the lonely moon." Hadithi chuckled, "I've heard that one... it is a beautiful story." His eyes rose to the heavens as if he could see the moon there. Which, of course, he couldn't but it did not hurt to try.
After a moment, he turned to look once more at the storyteller, "You're off to collect more of your stories.. or will you stay with us a bit longer?"
A smile graced the female's maw as she rose her head to the sky; she couldn't see it, either, but she could just barely make out it's phantom shape, in her mind's eye, "Just .... one more night," she breathed the words at Hadithi, the smile on her maw, "I want to see the moon one more time before I leave."
Upon her arrival, the male had twitched, his ears falling somewhat; he understood she needed to move on though; he knew this... it was the way she was, and yet, it still hurt.
"I'll come back though," it was said to both males, a promise she was well aware she'd keep, even though... for different reasons than the ones that were in her mind at the time.
"Well, there will always be a place here for storytellers," Hadtihi nodded with a smile. "As you're sure to have realized by now."
A chuckle graced the air between them, but he had not missed the fleeting look upon Mundoo's face. Ohhh how he knew that feeling... but unlike in his case, he did not think Nyuni would be returning to them as MIsae had. There could be surprises but... well. It just wasn't likely with her nature. "Perhaps you'll bring us some new stories? We should have more to tell you by the time you return to our shores."
Despite the sadness that invaded him, the ocean breeze was gentle; it tugged and blew against his mane in a soothing way. He'd come to learn that something simply could not be, and he could not bear to keep a free spirit such as Nyoni tied, not even for his own sake. A small smile graced his maw at the thought; it was bittersweet, but it was, at the same time, a start.
"I know," she smiled for Hadithi, her eyes taking in the scenery, "And I will be back, with plenty to tell, but..." she turned to face Mundoo, her smile growing nostalgic, "I am no longer needed her; my wings ache to fly again," she chuckled at the metaphor; oh, she'd told Mundoo once, that her Muse was a bird. It'd been casual, but he'd taken it to heart. It made sense, "I must move on; it calls to me. I will bring stories of fire, ice and wind," she leaned in and pressed her head against Hadithi, lightly, a goodbye, for she'd not see him before parting in the morning, then she turned to Mundoo, smiled and granted him a similar nuzzle, "I need to sleep... I want to be up to greet the moon tonight," and with this, she left their side.
Mundoo hesitated only moment before standing up, offering Hadithi a small smile, "I'm going to spend the last few hours with her then; thank you," for taking me like I am... for everything. It was thought to himself before he turned to join Nyoni
Hadithi nodded to the 'couple' as they departed... for a couple they were, if only for a short time. Some loves were better lost, though, for at least then you had them at all.
His eyes drifted back to his first love, his Ocean love, and he smiled a dreamy smile. Another brother.. and a sister who flew as his true-blood sister ever did.
