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 Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:34 am
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A soft hum fell from the maw of the mostly-white male as he walked along, his pace more of a strut than anything else. Confidence always seemed to ooze from him, but then, he was a confident creature by nature. This day he was back to his den, for much the same reason as Atla - minus the whole 'leaving the pride' bit. He was hoping to find Faris lurking around the den, perhaps, so they could go off hunting together. He enjoyed the hunt, but enjoyed it more when he could make a bit of a sport of it.
It was a surprise to see his sister there, but his face broke into a grin regardless. He did a quick glance around for her twin, and for the object of his interest, who appeared to be missing, before heading towards her. "Looking for mum and dad?" he asked with a tilt of his head as he drew up close. |
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:40 am
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:54 am
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He smiled at the nuzzle into his mane, taking the time to nuzzle his own face against the tuft of hair atop her head, purposefully displacing it just like the nuisance of a brother he could be. It was all done in good jest though, and he leaned back from her with a teasing smile on his face. It was only then that he heard the words that fell from her maw and, with curiosity piqued, one brow delicately arched.
"Oh, what's this news then?" he said with a small grin, batting his tail lightly at her front legs. He had to wonder if it was good or bad, though judging by her face it wasn't something terribly unpleasant, at least not to her. His mind raced through a dozen different scenarios, but he did manage to wait patiently instead of bombarding her with a hundred different questions.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:05 am
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Atla made the playful-scowl face as she felt him ruffle her tuft of hair out of place, and promptly lifted a paw to start brushing it and straightening it back into place. A lady had to look her best.
"Well, its a bit weird because I dunno where the idea even came from but I suppose its natural I guess," she started in a rambly manner. She had a lovely sounding voice, but it was a shame she often spoke gibberish or random ideas and thoughts.
"These lands, as pretty as they are, are a bit small now. We're not cubs anymore, nothing is big and scary and we know every rock, every plant, every bug. Every lion too. And I swear, we could probably tell when a rock is out of place or something," she chuckled. "So, I had this idea to go on an adventure. To live a story, like the ones mum used to tell, when she was a cub she lived and moved about a lot before coming here. But we've always been here...not seen anything but these lands..."
"I guess what I'm saying is...well...I guess, I'm leaving. I'm going on my own adventure."
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:11 am
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His smile wavered a little as she began her little gibbering speech, feeling a growing sadness swell up in his chest. As happy as she was to be going and seeing the world, it meant that she would no longer be here with her family. Sure, he didn't spend as much time with his family as he aught, but he did love them and he would miss her terribly once she was gone. Still, he wasn't selfish enough to tell her not to go just because it would hurt.
"That sounds exciting," he said quietly, his mind drifting back quickly to the female he had met just recently. A female with wings, to explore the world. What was out there that was so great? "I won't say I'm not sad to see you go, but I guess I know what you mean. I hope it makes you happy." His smile returned, albeit a sad version of what was there before. He had to assume Alta was going too, and that prospect was even more disheartening. Their mother would be sad.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:24 am
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:48 am
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"Well, just make sure that you don't put off telling them for too long, alright?" he said with a little nudge to her shoulder, trying to keep his smile in place. Knowing that half of his litter was leaving to go and see the world, that they might not be home for a while, if ever, was disheartening. They'd always been together, all of them. "If they don't have enough time to adjust to it before you leave, it might make things worse."
"Yeah, home," he echoed behind her, his eyes roaming over her face. He knew many lions that had left on adventures, with every aim to return, who had fallen into the life of a rogue. Wanderlust was strong and addictive. "When are you two going?" he asked, as an attempt to steer away from the subject of their return. He wouldn't hold his breath. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, he simply felt like it was a promise they couldn't make to anyone yet.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:53 am
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:06 am
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"Well, that's good to know," he said with a soft laugh, echoing hers as he looked back down at her eyes with own fiery orbs. "I'd be a little upset if you were leaving sometime soon and you were only just now getting around to telling me." He leaned in to n** at her ear teasingly, his fond smile falling back into place. He was at ease with her, and he'd be sad when she was finally gone.
"Of course I will," he said with a little chuckle, turning his gaze away from hers to look out at the land around them, "our little pride won't be the same with you, or Alta. I'd miss any of you if you left, you know, and both of you leaving, well.." He trailed off, looking back down at her with a sad little smile, his confident, almost cocky nature temporarily subdued in favor of his realization that he was about to lose things that were precious to him - even if it was only for a little while. Even he never would have pegged him for so much of a family man.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:35 pm
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"Pssh, you know me. I couldn't tell a lie to save my life, would you really have expected me to sneak around the lands, trying to keep something this big a secret until the big day?" she laughed and bopped him playfully with a paw.
"You could always come with us. There's always room for one more in an adventure. The more the merrier," she beamed at him, already knowing the answer.
If he was this sad and sentimental at she and their brother leaving, imagine what mess he'd be in if he left as well. Atla took a big breath and sighed, but it was a happy sigh. This felt like a turning point in her life. For some, it was finding a mate or finding love or starting a family. Those things were on her mind as well, but not as high as adventure was. This was it, this felt like the trigger in her life. Who knows, maybe she'd return with a family, return with a tale to tell.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:51 pm
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"True, you would have ratted out on yourself eventually," he said with a chuckle, reaching up with his batted paw to swat playfully at her mane tuft. It was an amusing scenario to try and envision though, that was for sure.
"I could never do that," he murmured softly, though his smile was not quite sad now. "There might not be a huge adventure to be had here, or new places to explore, and it might be the same old pride day after day, but this is where family is and its all I've ever known. Without family, who am I?" He smirked lightly and shook his head, as if to reinforce his refusal of her offer, finally leaning in to nudge her head with his own lightly. "You go and have an adventure for me, hm? Have fun, and you can tell me all about it one day."
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:57 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:11 pm
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"I wouldn't dream of making you feel guilty," he said with a gentle chuckle, though his eyes flashed with a bit of guilty mirth. "But I'll hold you to that promise, you better come back now so we can grow old and gray and bitter together." He still knew there was a good chance she would find life out there more appealing, and he wouldn't honestly hold it against her if she did, but it was nice to tease her while she was still here.
"An angel and a knight," he said with a smile, looking towards the empty den where they had been raised. Their parents were something, full of a fantasy-like charm that never grew old. "Even still, it's my family that defines me, in a way."
Looking for a way to change the subject and lighten the mood, he nudged her lightly in the shoulder with his own. "I was looking to see if Faris wanted to go hunting with me, but since he's not here and you seem to be by yourself for a bit, do you want to come?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:19 pm
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"I promise. And if not me, then all my annoying kids. They can come back and torment you, screaming 'Uncle Ozzy' and demanding playtime," she said with a laugh and then stuck her tongue out at him in jest.
"Its hard not to be defined with parents like that, I mean just look at how they met, and how they fell in love. Like something from a fairy-tale for real," she said, with that hint of envy in her voice. She hoped she could have some kind of fairy-tale ending in her life, if only because her parents' made it so magical.
She'd have some hard lessons to learn in the outside world.
"Sure, why not? Another chance to escape Alta a bit more. He's started snoring dreadfully you know," she said, getting back to all four paws.
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Atla loved her family to bits. But that didn't mean she always wanted to be joined at the hip to her twin. Alta had fallen asleep in the shade, and thankfully was a heavy sleeper, giving Atla the chance to slip away and continue seeking out her siblings for a final farewell before she and her twin embarked on an adventure.
