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 Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:14 pm
Okay, so it was also nice to think of lions mulling over his honest if sometimes awkward attempts at conversation - and thinking of Sakata's silences, his brutal efficiency.
Right now though, he'd finally snatched a few hours for himself, and it had turned out that yes, this spot was just as comfortable as he'd remembered. Maybe a little too comfortable, Usiku reflected guiltily, when a shout from a group of running cubs snapped his eyes open again. He'd been dozing off, drat it, when he should've been... Well, there was no shortage of things to do. Meeting with the Huntleaders and Veterans to go over who would be needed for that good-sized herd of impalas. Checking on the Sacrifice who would join the spirits tomorrow. Making the acquaintance of the latest group of juveniles, to see which of them looked like likely candidates for the Claw.
Oh. He hadn't talked to his daughters recently either, had he?
His eyes roved guiltily over the dark-pelted lions and their splashes of color, caught for a moment on a blue pelt before moving on in search of Tifu's or Kizuka's brilliant stripes. Something about the figure's odd shape made him automatically look back, though - just in time to see it unfold into blue and white wings, lifting an excited hop into a short glide.
...Wings?
He was on his feet and running before the thought had sunk in, dodging surprised pridemates with a single-minded intensity. It couldn't be. But he had to make sure.
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:39 pm
Muhali could and could not remember her time in amongst these lions. It depended on the moment of day and her general mood, really; there were times when the tiny goddess' maw opened into a great big 'ohhhhhhh' as it dawned upon her that yes, she HAD actually been here before. Other times, she was contently confused as to why she was there, and others she found that despite the fact she could not remember the place, she was happy regardless.
Then again, Insanity was rarely anything other than happy, and really... that was just as well. It was probably better that way too, for the few times Muhali lost her smile, Bad Things tended to happen.
As it was, today seemed to be one of the rare days and moments where she did, in fact, remember the pride, and she trot-trotted around the pridal grounds with ease, happy with taking a peek here and a sniff there and oooooh she remembered that rock! And she also remembered that cave right there, and that plant; that plant had been baaaaad last time she'd been there and had snarked at her when she'd stopped to have a conversation with it and ooooooh butterfly!
Muhali's attention seemed to fly from one point to another, and while some pride members watched her with vague mirth, most ignored her. She was unaware of Usiku's approach as she pawed at a random flower, her wings outstretched, "I will make myself a pretty crown with you!" she told the flower, and then snapped it out of the ground with her maw. It was then that her ears flicked and her head turned and she saw Usiku running towards her. The goddess turned to look right and then left, still with the flower between her teeth, as if midly confused that the large lions was heading straight for her, but the wagging of her tail as she sat on the ground seemed to indicate she was perfectly okay with it regardless.
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:07 pm
As he slowed to approach the greater spirit, each stripe and bit of golden and turquoise jewelry a fiery brand on his memory, Usiku was suddenly afraid. He'd always understood that the likelihood of Muhali returning while he was still alive was next to nothing, with far-off lands to explore and a memory as flighty as hers, and resigned himself to that fact. Once or twice he'd dreamed of her, soaring in blissful flight among the stars or giggling and pouncing crickets in the grass, and he'd been grateful for the spirits' gift. But it wasn't the same.
Now with her here in the flesh at last, he felt as awkward and speechless as ever he'd done. She was too real, too bright and mercurial for him to be prepared for. Could things be like they had been? Was she here to stay? Why was she here?
Was he still breathing?
"Muhali," he finally managed, the word surprisingly neutral coming from a lion who'd been running pretty fast there. But his red eyes were almost hungry as they swept over the spirit's familiar features, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say more before closing it again. It was... it had been just so long, long enough for their children to grow up. He could barely believe she was sitting in front of him now, and all the words he'd dreamed of saying to her had stuck in his throat.
And a little voice inside him was uneasy. She'd come back, it was true, which boded well for her remembering their time together. But try as he might, Usiku saw nothing but a vaguely friendly look in her eyes now...
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:48 am
She saw him skid to halt in front of her and the goddess tilted her head to one side, as if the motion would allow her to understand him better. Usually, no one sought her out; sure, she was others often, but it was she that practically forced herself on them, not the other way around.
Was he insane?
The notion brought a light smile upon her maw, and the cub-like lioness giggled at him. Then, he spoke her name and she blinked. For a moment, it looked like she honestly had no idea whom Usiku was, but then, understanding and perhaps just an ounce of sanity flashed through her eyes, mixed with something that haunted, bordered on the territory of 'caring'. She lifted a paw to point up at him (for he towered over her with ease), "Heeeeeey!" she said with a merry chirp in her voice, "You're.... you're..." and she couldn't remember his name, but this was pretty usual for her, for she usually didn't remember even Dili's or Uka's, "You're..." she stopped trying to produce a name and instead when for something she was more used to using; a nickname, "You're Mr. Grumpy pants! You're my grumpy pants! I remember you!" then, as if the day had brightened, the small female jumped to her feet bounced the few steps over to Usiku, placing the flower she'd still been holding onto into his mane.
It was a spontaneous movement, and it didn't seem like she'd thought it over much because when she pulled away from him and tilted her head right and left, she came to notice the flower didn't really look like it fit on him. Not that it mattered, "What's wrong? Why are you unhappy?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:14 pm
Well, he wasn't breathing now; he didn't dare, as if the wrong movement might erase any half-memory of him from her mind. Usiku felt a stab of grief at the blank confusion in her expressive face - but then he grinned when she spoke, a sudden surge of relief swamping his reservations. How long had it been since he looked so happy, and felt it, too? "That's me." Yeah, she'd called him that, hadn't she? Before he'd given up trying to make her go away - and after, too, since by then it was habit. "I... I'm glad you remembered."
And she did remember! She remembered something! If he'd needed any proof that their relationship, however brief, hadn't been completely empty; if he'd sometimes doubted the love that had been in his recollections, this was it. This was enough. Usiku growled and nipped at her playfully as she brandished the flower, the familiar attitude of fond sufferance coming back easily as she stuck it in his mane. Right now he couldn't care less if the whole pride saw their Second prancing around with daisy chains wrapped around every available limb.
"I'm not!" he protested quickly, needing to reassure himself as much as her. "It's just. Well. I didn't know if you were ever coming back, and now you're here, and." He gave up, and rubbed his head against hers to hide the foolish smile which was eclipsing his face. It was enough.
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:28 pm
The small goddess looked horribly proud of herself, as if remembering that much of what had happened were an extremely amazing feat and wow, look, she did that all by herself! Grinning up, she watched him through the long bangs the poured over her forehead in odd directions.
The fact he did not take off the flower seemed to please her horribly (she rarely found willing subjects for her ... makeover times) and she presented him with yet another smile. She was about to say something back to him when he dropped his head and rubbed it against hers. Somehow, the movement caught her by surprise, if the way she blinked was any indication; this did not mean it was unwelcome though, for her smile vanished and it was replaced by a clam expression, her eyes hooded and something about her... had changed.
It lasted only a second though, as if some sort of image or event had flashed through her mind's eye. Then, as if driven more by instinct alone, as if this was what she SHOULD be doing, the petite lioness rubbed her head against his back, a mild purr like noise escaping her.
He was not one of Children back in Kizingo'zaa. He was not one of the singing stars, but he was also important, for some reason she couldn't quite place her paw on. It didn't matter why though; Muhali never dwelled on those things. As swiftly as it had all started, it ended and the goddess pulled away with a chirp, "Would you like to play a game? Play a game with me!" the cubs could only keep up with her for so long after all, and Usiku was much larger. It never crossed her mind that the other pride members would look at them weird. In fact, she spread her wings, beat them once and planed herself on the large male's head, partially hitting herself amongst his mane. This was oddly nostalgic.
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 3:57 pm
Usiku had missed the moment, caught up in his own nostalgic reverie - but he must have felt something of it in her shape, because without thinking about it the larger lion pulled back a little. Unbidden memories flashed across his mind and were gone again with her purr.
He stiffened in surprise as she snapped her wings out, grunted as Muhali landed on his back; the flower promptly dropped from his mane again. With a paw he scooped it up and twisted to plant it a little clumsily in her bangs, bowing his head in teasing worship. Greater spirit though she might be, even the most dour lions found it hard to take this not-quite-cub seriously.
"Mmph. What kind of game?" He wasn't much surprised that this should be the first order of business, honestly. Catching up could wait, if it was going to happen at all; no long talks into the night for Muhali, not when she was like this. To hell with responsibilities and appearances then, at least for an hour!
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:17 pm
That's the way she wanted it though.
Since long, long ago, Muhali had decided that life shouldn't be taken quite as seriously as others did. That was one of the reasons she had allowed her own domain to swallow her. However, there were times where the sanity peeked through; Usiku had been one of the few lions to have ever witnessed that, and even if Muhali could not quite remember the time, it made him special in some sort of subconscious way.
"I don't care!" she chirped happily, "Any game will do!" she was used to making a game out of anything and everything, really. However, Dili had told her that this was not the place to play Monsters and illusions, so the goddess was for now refraining her usual antics in favor of more normal games, "A game! A game!" then she paused, crawled up on his head in the same way she had done to Sakata and looked at the male upside down, "Tag!" she exclaimed, "Let's play tag!" this said, she placed her small paw on his large nose, "Tag, you're it!"
That done, she jumped off of him with grace and landed on the ground, then rushed off in a random direction, her wings forgotten in favour of using her feet. Using wings was cheating in this game. At least with mortals, "You can't catch me!" she was small, yes, but she was fast and agile.
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:05 pm
He chuckled. "You've got to pick one, si-" And before he knew it she had vaulted off his back and was careening off; unlike the Warleader, Usiku barely hesitated before he was hot in pursuit.
She might be faster, but he knew the ground better, and navigated roots and rocks with somewhat more speed than was really safe. "Tag," he chuckled to himself, dodging a nonplussed pair of hunters with a hurried apology. All the games in the world to choose from - including a few less savory options, but Irrationality couldn't always be kind - and she chose simple cub's play. Muhali had always been fond of it.
Simple but oddly satisfying, of course. He could of course take his time, since odds were she'd get distracted and completely forget she was being pursued, but where would be the fun in that? The claws around his neck clattered as he leapt over a dip in the ground, and with a pang he thought of Mradi, who had missed this chance to meet his mother. He'd have to keep an eye out for his daughters so the three could be properly reintroduced.
Part of him was hoping they wouldn't run into Tifu or Kizuka, though. He had this nagging feeling that said sometime soon he was going to regret stampeding through the heart of the pride like an oversized cub - for the second time today, no less.
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