Post by Bahati on Jan 7, 2007 1:42:45 GMT -5
Quick RP with Chuki, trying to get a feel for our characters as teens.
Desert Expanse - Rocky Savanna
You see nothing special.
Exits:
[North] to some Brushlands
[South] to a Ravine
[East] into Desert
Present:
[TP] Tzik
[TP] Sarabi
Night is the only time worth coming to the desert, even if one only ventures to the edge. The bone-colored lion who lounges on a rock that has soaked up the warmth of the sun all day long is hard to see in the similar rocky and sandy palliate of the landscape. If it weren't for the lack of grass and his shaggy start of a mane blowing in the brisk desert wind, he might easily go unnoticed, unless one were to scent him out. Tzik, as he always does nowadays, sits quietly, staring up into a starless sky.
The desert is the ideal place to clear one's head and send worried thoughts scattering across the flat expanse, where they will be eaten up by the great nothing at the end of the world. Sarabi doesn't expect to find Tzik--or anyone--all the way out here; she wants to be alone. Although Ahadi and Uru haven't announced it yet, she has a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that she is to be betrothed to the future King. "Tzik?"
Tzik flicks his ears toward his name and smiles in such a way that only Sarabi can invoke on his strangely shaped face. He shifts his weight in order to sit, then jumps off the rock with a thwump, a cloud of sand and powered rock billowing in the air when he lands. But not a word he says - oh no.
Sarabi has grown used to one-sided conversations; Tzik's company is her most favourite of all. "I missed you," she says, approaching his rock on swift but silent paws. "The Pridelands aren't anything like we imagined when we were younger."
Tzik's brows furrow at the comment and frowns. If Sarabi is unhappy, then there are worse things than it being a night without stars. He lifts one of his big paws when she gets close enough to rest on the lioness's shoulder. Come tell Tzik all about it. His tail-tip swishes slowly in the sand behind him, creating a soft, rhythmic noise that has the potential of being very soothing.
If Sarabi listens closely enough, it's like the beating of a heart. She presses lightly against him, rubbing the top of her head under his chin. "Their King is like a God--I swear to you. Hard but just. And his Queen... oh, Tzik. I've never seen anyone so beautiful! They tell me she was born in Mwenyezi, like us."
Whew! And Tzik had expected his cubhood playmate to have been harboring some hidden ill-will toward the Prideland lions. He smiles again and tucks his chin slightly when she places her head under his, licking at her ear and hugging her head in a way to him. Cooties be damned. A low purr rumbles in his throat as he sits there, one foreleg lifted and draped across the lioness's back.
"But their Prince," Sarabi continues, dropping her voice to a harsh, frightened whisper. "The dark one. Ahadi's heir. I don't know what it is about him, but Taka... he's cold. You don't think Kutamani would give me to him? Zira is better suited!"
The bone-brute pulls away with another frown, his purr fading away. Uhoh. Tzik coughs a little and flicks a claw out to draw it through the sand, forming a two shapes: one is a circle, and the other a crescent. The sun and the moon.
Sarabi lowers her golden eyes to the sand and twitches her nose in thought, like she often does when she's nervous. Her ears splay. "I do wish you could speak, Tzik." She stretches her neck, gesturing to his art. "Which am I?"
Tzik's frown only deepens at the wish, his own ears pinning for a moment. But they perk again when the question is asked, and the male leans to press his dusty pink nose against Sarabi's cheek before he points to the circle.
"I am the sun, and Zira is the moon." Sarabi contemplates this for a long time, saying nothing more. She's feeling unusually solemn tonight, but solemn times are when she thinks with the most clarity. "I think you've got it wrong," she murmurs, shaking her head. "I don't want to shine..."
Tzik stares down at his drawing and sighs softly. That isn't what he had meant, but it works. A paw is swiped out over the sand to clear the image and Tzik stands up. He looks toward the horizon, back to the south and where they both came from, and stares thoughtfully.
"If I am betrothed to Taka, I want you to come with me. Leave Mwenyezi, Tzik. There's nothing left for you there." Nothing but treacherous lionesses who make sport of death. "Ahadi will accept you. At Pride Rock, there are many males that have sworn loyalty to the King and his lionesses."
Since Sarabi had left, Tzik spent his days lingering on the border and neutral lands whenever he could, so the request is one he has been waiting for for some time. He steps toward the lioness, his purr returning as he tucks his chin and presses the bridge of his nose against Sarabi's neck in a fierce nuzzle.
Any lingering doubts that Sarabi might have had begin to melt away. It doesn't matter whether or not she's betrothed to a boor--just as long as Tzik remains at her side. "I'll have to call you Sir, you know," she teases gently. "You'd be a royal knight!"
Tzik pulls his head back in bewilderment. The Mwenyezi didn't have knights as far as he knew. A title! Wow! A grin slowly creeps onto his maw and he leans in to lick tentatively at Sarabi's cheek once more. <3
"Come on," Sarabi says, giving Tzik a playful return nudge. She turns and slides her tail across the large, pale male's chest as she begins making her way back to the border, retracing her footsteps. "I'll introduce you."
Tzik's face brightens at the subtle gesture, but the cub in him wants to play. He nips at Sarabi's tail without any intention of actually catching it. He leaps forward in a slightly awkward motion until he is beside the lioness and walking in step with her, lifting his own tail to brush the dusty tuft along her haunch before he settles it into a gentle and anticipatory swing.
Desert Expanse - Rocky Savanna
You see nothing special.
Exits:
[North] to some Brushlands
[South] to a Ravine
[East] into Desert
Present:
[TP] Tzik
[TP] Sarabi
Night is the only time worth coming to the desert, even if one only ventures to the edge. The bone-colored lion who lounges on a rock that has soaked up the warmth of the sun all day long is hard to see in the similar rocky and sandy palliate of the landscape. If it weren't for the lack of grass and his shaggy start of a mane blowing in the brisk desert wind, he might easily go unnoticed, unless one were to scent him out. Tzik, as he always does nowadays, sits quietly, staring up into a starless sky.
The desert is the ideal place to clear one's head and send worried thoughts scattering across the flat expanse, where they will be eaten up by the great nothing at the end of the world. Sarabi doesn't expect to find Tzik--or anyone--all the way out here; she wants to be alone. Although Ahadi and Uru haven't announced it yet, she has a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that she is to be betrothed to the future King. "Tzik?"
Tzik flicks his ears toward his name and smiles in such a way that only Sarabi can invoke on his strangely shaped face. He shifts his weight in order to sit, then jumps off the rock with a thwump, a cloud of sand and powered rock billowing in the air when he lands. But not a word he says - oh no.
Sarabi has grown used to one-sided conversations; Tzik's company is her most favourite of all. "I missed you," she says, approaching his rock on swift but silent paws. "The Pridelands aren't anything like we imagined when we were younger."
Tzik's brows furrow at the comment and frowns. If Sarabi is unhappy, then there are worse things than it being a night without stars. He lifts one of his big paws when she gets close enough to rest on the lioness's shoulder. Come tell Tzik all about it. His tail-tip swishes slowly in the sand behind him, creating a soft, rhythmic noise that has the potential of being very soothing.
If Sarabi listens closely enough, it's like the beating of a heart. She presses lightly against him, rubbing the top of her head under his chin. "Their King is like a God--I swear to you. Hard but just. And his Queen... oh, Tzik. I've never seen anyone so beautiful! They tell me she was born in Mwenyezi, like us."
Whew! And Tzik had expected his cubhood playmate to have been harboring some hidden ill-will toward the Prideland lions. He smiles again and tucks his chin slightly when she places her head under his, licking at her ear and hugging her head in a way to him. Cooties be damned. A low purr rumbles in his throat as he sits there, one foreleg lifted and draped across the lioness's back.
"But their Prince," Sarabi continues, dropping her voice to a harsh, frightened whisper. "The dark one. Ahadi's heir. I don't know what it is about him, but Taka... he's cold. You don't think Kutamani would give me to him? Zira is better suited!"
The bone-brute pulls away with another frown, his purr fading away. Uhoh. Tzik coughs a little and flicks a claw out to draw it through the sand, forming a two shapes: one is a circle, and the other a crescent. The sun and the moon.
Sarabi lowers her golden eyes to the sand and twitches her nose in thought, like she often does when she's nervous. Her ears splay. "I do wish you could speak, Tzik." She stretches her neck, gesturing to his art. "Which am I?"
Tzik's frown only deepens at the wish, his own ears pinning for a moment. But they perk again when the question is asked, and the male leans to press his dusty pink nose against Sarabi's cheek before he points to the circle.
"I am the sun, and Zira is the moon." Sarabi contemplates this for a long time, saying nothing more. She's feeling unusually solemn tonight, but solemn times are when she thinks with the most clarity. "I think you've got it wrong," she murmurs, shaking her head. "I don't want to shine..."
Tzik stares down at his drawing and sighs softly. That isn't what he had meant, but it works. A paw is swiped out over the sand to clear the image and Tzik stands up. He looks toward the horizon, back to the south and where they both came from, and stares thoughtfully.
"If I am betrothed to Taka, I want you to come with me. Leave Mwenyezi, Tzik. There's nothing left for you there." Nothing but treacherous lionesses who make sport of death. "Ahadi will accept you. At Pride Rock, there are many males that have sworn loyalty to the King and his lionesses."
Since Sarabi had left, Tzik spent his days lingering on the border and neutral lands whenever he could, so the request is one he has been waiting for for some time. He steps toward the lioness, his purr returning as he tucks his chin and presses the bridge of his nose against Sarabi's neck in a fierce nuzzle.
Any lingering doubts that Sarabi might have had begin to melt away. It doesn't matter whether or not she's betrothed to a boor--just as long as Tzik remains at her side. "I'll have to call you Sir, you know," she teases gently. "You'd be a royal knight!"
Tzik pulls his head back in bewilderment. The Mwenyezi didn't have knights as far as he knew. A title! Wow! A grin slowly creeps onto his maw and he leans in to lick tentatively at Sarabi's cheek once more. <3
"Come on," Sarabi says, giving Tzik a playful return nudge. She turns and slides her tail across the large, pale male's chest as she begins making her way back to the border, retracing her footsteps. "I'll introduce you."
Tzik's face brightens at the subtle gesture, but the cub in him wants to play. He nips at Sarabi's tail without any intention of actually catching it. He leaps forward in a slightly awkward motion until he is beside the lioness and walking in step with her, lifting his own tail to brush the dusty tuft along her haunch before he settles it into a gentle and anticipatory swing.