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 Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 1:57 pm
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It must have been by some Godly intervention that Izi, sweet boy with the hunting prowess of a fly, had survived in the wilds, all on his own. For as long as he did.
… Well, okay. That was a bit harsh.
Izi wasn’t inept, not by any stretch of the imagination and he had honestly managed just fine. His argument was always that some lions had physical strengths, while others sported less physical ones. And his point was flawless. But in truth there was definitely a series of events within his life that, looking back, were either pure dumb luck or God sends indeed.
From the hunting parties, bands of rogues who had opted out of pridal life in favor of a more intimate setting. With there being so many of them that, often, individuals would move in and out of groups freely, making their turnover rate exhausting to keep up with but the gossip never dull.
To the occasional lone lion, or leopard, or cheetah that would stumble across him for a spell. Those were harder times, as the hunts became more reliant on his own abilities and less about a ‘whole’, yet Izi persevered.
And all of that would eventually lead him to the present moment. One where he sat quietly beside a lagoon, all rich and vibrant and tucked into the jungles of this wild, wild land. Alone. Or, at least devoid of predator company. To his right was a pure white vulture perched upon a large stone, with its beady red eyes staring down at him.
The pair had been sitting in silence for a long while, which was likely the greatest feat Izi had ever accomplished, and at first glance the scene might have read a touch sad. A harbinger of death waiting for the demise of its next meal. The victim, likely reviewing all past transgressions and blessings, seated in wait for ‘the end’ to come. And... it was a bit sad, actually, because:
“I don’t think she ever loved me.” Izi broke the silence. His chest barreling as he inhaled deeply, and exhaled loudly. “She couldn’t have.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying, friend.” The albino bird replied, turning its beak so a single crimson eye could meet with Izi’s.
“Well this hurts.”
“Love is never easy.”
“Love kind of sucks.”
“No. This sucks. Love is pretty great. But you've gotta find the right partner to make it worthwhile.”
Izi sighed again, deeper than before. Louder than before. While So, his carrion companion for this leg of his life-journey, shook out his feathers and continued to look down upon the lion…
It wasn’t overtly clear whether the bird kept away out of respect or distrust, but their conversation continued with the distance between them all the same.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 7:19 pm
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It hadn’t been too long since she had left her childhood home and her father, but it’d be a lie if Nani told anyone she didn’t miss it. It was comfortable, warm, and secure, and she knew what had been expected of her as a child. She had never been terribly adventurous, and was quite content to live out her life at her father’s side, taking in the world at her own pace. He needed her, after all. He had told her countless times that she was his strength.
However, as she became an adult, her independence nagged for fulfillment. Nani found herself doubting the path that she was walking. It wasn’t that she was unhappy, for she loved her father dearly and thrived on his sensitivity and easy-going nature. It was more a feeling of… boredom, if she was being honest. She had learned all there was in front of her, and it had been enough… for a while, anyways. She had thought she could stave off this persistent anxiety - her stubbornness allowed her to ignore most things that were in her way.
But Nani knew better than that.
She knew that this thought had taken hold, she knew it would spread. It grew from boredom into a struggle with self-worth. Was she just… going through the motions here, letting her life pass her by? Was what she believed she needed to do to move forward… wrong? By resisting this change, was she taking the easy way out?
After a long talk with her father, who had sensed a change in his usually composed child, she agreed with his suggestion of taking this as a sign that she should seek out other lands and learn from new experiences. Perhaps in doing so, he told her, she would find real comfort and belonging. The thought stuck with her, and every time she paused to look over her spotted shoulder, she could hear his words in her head, ‘Don’t be afraid to step off this path, Nani… you may just find a better one.’
Sometimes, you had to learn by letting go.
She nodded to herself, determined to follow through with her decision to leave her childhood home. She squared her shoulders and let loose an exasperated, shuddering sigh, and continued padding through the rogue lands, towards the jungles. Her mouth was open slightly and she panted, tail nearly dragging against the ground as she weaved through palm fronds and ferns. She was quite tired, and due for a rest, but she had to find water and a safe place to lay down first. The jungles were lovely though, and all the different flora and skittering fauna held her attention for long enough.
Catching the scent of a body of water, her ears perked and she hastened her pace, a small smile spreading on her lips as she moved towards the area Izi and his companion were seated. She could hear voices but not words, and as she came up on the lagoon, she hung back slightly in the brush, surveying the situation for danger from across the water. Nani’s green eyes caught the pale bird resting in the branches above and she flinched as he ruffled his feathers.
They looked harmless though, honestly.
“Uhm, excuse me…,” she called out, poking her white marked head out of the large leaves thriving by the water’s edge. She took a step forward, eyes trained on the dejected white lion. “I’m so sorry to disturb you but, would you mind if I took a drink and rested here? I’ve come from… far away…,” she trailed off, lowering her head towards the water as she crouched by the banks, still watching the pair curiously. She didn’t wait for him to reply, and began lapping at the cool waters, sating her thirst.
He seemed familiar, but she wasn’t sure if it was just her excitement of having come across another in her journeying that led her to believe that.
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Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 2:27 pm
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After a time, he had resumed his casual conversation with the bird. Still on the topic of 'love', but with more inquiries. Like 'so theoretically what would you do if you loved someone and wanted to win them back?' and 'how do you keep a love after you have it?'
It went on for a short while, with So offering as much as he could but... mostly feeling sorry for the lion. Until at last the bird was saved by the unexpected arrival of a second predator. A beady red eye turned to face the stranger before she had made her presence known. When Izi finally took notice, the carrion lifted off his perch to hover briefly in the air.
The male, surprised, shifted his gaze between the bird and the girl before settling on his feathered companion. "Wait, where are you going?! How do I win her back?!"
"Try not to keep your nose in the past, what with opportunities rising in the present." His pale wings flapped vigorously to pull So beyond the canopy and out of sight. It took another several seconds before Izi could no longer hear the heavy beating of wings...
At which point his eyes sank to the lioness at the pool.
It was a strange moment for Izi. One filled with questions, frustrations, and curiosity. He was still pondering on the woman who had stolen his heart, yet he couldn't help but admire the elegance of the woman standing before him as well. Torn by the past and the present. Perhaps that's what So meant? He was a... cryptic bird. Izi idled on whether or not he'd ever see the carrion again before shaking his head.
Focus.
What did she say?
His pale fur bristled slightly as nervous energy sent it all on end. Striding forward, slowly and carefully, he peered around at the bushes beyond her, scenting for more company, before offering a smile.
"Hi." Edging closer, he could really get a feel for her coat. Those patterns. She was more than elegant, she was beautiful. She looked familiar... had he seen her before? Perhaps along his travels... a rogue band crossing his path... Regardless that familiarity comforted him, particularly now in his greatest time of need. His heart, half broken, fluttered. With her head dipped into the waters it was hard to see her eyes, but he imagined them to be just as beautiful.
At last he reached the pool, standing opposite from her. Something was... off. What was it?
"Hey, yeah I'm sorry about that. I uh... I was just. We were talking about-- uh." he pursed his lips, finishing with an apprehensive introduction. "I'm Izi. What's your name?"
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