Lodrill Dao
Adolescent Lion
100% fan of Kiara
Posts: 209
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Post by Lodrill Dao on Jan 17, 2009 22:00:52 GMT -5
Taraji woke up again by Jamall moving. She opened her eyes and sticked her head out of Jamalls mane to look up to her new foster-father.
"Good morning!" she mumbled. Then she crawled out of the mane and carefully peeked above Jamalls leg in the direction of the panther.
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Post by Jiang on Jan 17, 2009 23:27:28 GMT -5
"Morning Taraji!" The lion replied, smiling as he watched his adoptive daughter clamber out of his mane, then peek above his leg at Sefu.
"That's Sefu Hishima, he's a friend of mine. You'll like him. If you ever get to see him awake, that is. Silly cat snoozes constantly." Jamall said softly, after deciding that Taraji probably was nervous, curious, or afraid of the black feline.
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Lodrill Dao
Adolescent Lion
100% fan of Kiara
Posts: 209
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Post by Lodrill Dao on Jan 17, 2009 23:35:55 GMT -5
"Ermmmm...." Taraji looked up to Jamall. "Is... this other lion still here?" she looked around in the den in the same shy way as she looked to Sefu.
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Post by Jiang on Jan 17, 2009 23:42:04 GMT -5
"You mean King Simba? Probably not, he has duties to tend to in the morning." Jamall said, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders as he spoke. "Why? Do you want to see him? We could go find him if you do." He offered, a smile stretching across his muzzle. "And it'd probably be a good thing for you to ride around and get to look over the Pride Lands in the day light. What do you say, Taraji? Want to go find Simba and explore a bit on the way?"
While yes, that left Sefu completly out of the look, the panther looked pretty out of it. If he really wanted to wake his dark-furred comrade, he'd have to tug on his ears or douse him with water or something overly dramatic. No, Sefu could sleep for another hour or two, then he'd get him and say 'Hi'.
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Lodrill Dao
Adolescent Lion
100% fan of Kiara
Posts: 209
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Post by Lodrill Dao on Jan 17, 2009 23:54:25 GMT -5
Taraji shook her head slowly and looked down shyly. It was clear that her shyness did make her refuse to see Simba. "Maybe... going outside... a bit." she replied and threw another short glimpse to the panther.
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Post by Jiang on Jan 18, 2009 0:11:53 GMT -5
Well, at least she isn't super-shy around me anymore... I suppose that in time she'll come out of her shell, but in the meantime...
Jamall gently picked Taraji up by her scruff and with some clever maneuvering, he managed to place her upon his shoulders. "Hang on tight!" He warned, just before he rose to his full height. "So we're exploring Pride Rock... But I think maybe you would like to steer clear of the others until you're used to this place, soo... Want to go to the top? It's got a great view, as long as you aren't afraid of heights! Or we could go out and explore the grasslands, no chance of meeting anything more frightening than a lizard out there." The lion suggested, as he turned and padded out of his den.
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Lodrill Dao
Adolescent Lion
100% fan of Kiara
Posts: 209
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Post by Lodrill Dao on Jan 18, 2009 0:20:18 GMT -5
As every time she was on Jamalls shoulders she crawled into his mane. She was excited. Approach someone she did not know well or while she was being watched was still hard for her because of her shyness but exploring the area was exciting. There was so much she wanted to see. "I want to see eeeeeeeverything!" she said excited and her fore paws drew the wide 'eeeverything' into Jamalls back. She giggled as she noticed that she tickled Jamall.
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Post by Jiang on Jan 18, 2009 0:27:12 GMT -5
Jamall was barely able to keep from bursting into laughter, again, because of Taraji's over-active forepaws. He was having the time of his life, being with and caring for Taraji. Even if it did mean getting tickled now and then. "Okay, okay! Just don't tickle me!" He said with a laugh, as he padded up towards the top of Pride Rock, figuring it'd be best to do that little tour now because the hunting parties had left, and so Taraji wouldn't have to face down a dozen or so lionesses, who would all be very curious about such a cute little cub. Plus, he did not care to even begin to attempt to explain to them why he was caring for her, rather than them. Nope, that was Simba's job! [And just another reason that Jamall occasionally pitied the older lion]
It didn't take very long for them to zip across Pride Rock and up the path spiraling upwards to the top of the majestic spire. Once at the top, Jamall sat down several feet back from the edge, but he kept his shoulders low enough that Taraji didn't tumble off him. "Well, this is the top of Pride Rock. If you get down, stay well away from the edge!" He warned.
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Lodrill Dao
Adolescent Lion
100% fan of Kiara
Posts: 209
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Post by Lodrill Dao on Jan 18, 2009 0:52:48 GMT -5
Taraji jumped down. She was well rested with one day and night sleep as if she didn't just walk for 2 month straight. She looked around. All the land the light did touch.... [oh well I think you know that part. I will spare you. ] "Soooo huuuge!" she whispered and looked all around the land. Her little tail weaved right and left in excitement. And she jumped around to each corner of the flat rock to see everything around. [Sorry I'll go to sleep now. I will post again after sleeping. ]
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Post by KiarasMate on Jan 18, 2009 18:47:21 GMT -5
Simba made his typical rounds within The Pride Lands. He walked at a swift pace, only half paying attention to what he was supposed to be doing, as his mind was a bit side tracked with everything that had been occurring as of late. First, the addition of the new lioness cub, which, by the way that she had acted earlier, was clear that she'd be a regular in the Pride now, as well as Sefu, the black panther.
"Maybe it's best not to have Sefu probe too deeply into the where-abouts of that young lioness cub's parents. I'd really hate for him to turn up anything unpleasant. That is, if he even decides to take the offer I gave to him." Simba spoke quietly to himself, as he made his way back towards Pride Rock.
From their last encounter, Simba could sense that there was probably some very unsettling past that the young cub had gone through, and he honestly didn't want to make her relive any of it if it could be avoided. He still needed to know for himself though. Being a parent himself, Simba couldn't imagine the thought of being seperated from his offspring, not knowing where they were? It just was too much for him to think about. His daughter Kiara meant everything to him, as did his mate Nala. Simba sighed softly and paused for a moment at the base of Pride Rock.
"Maybe I should go to Jamall's den and see if either him, Sefu or the young one are up yet." Simba thought aloud to himself as he sat there, unsure of his next move.
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Post by Jiang on Jan 18, 2009 21:21:33 GMT -5
"It is pretty big, isn't it? Everything the light touches is safe for you to explore, so long as you have me or another adult with you." Jamall explained, watching as Taraji bounced about the top of Pride Rock, taking in the sights.
As he kept a eye on her, the lion thought about what Simba had said last night, about that lost love of his. While he sincerely doubted that Simba would have said what he said had he known that Jamall's love was Kiara, he felt that maybe the King was right. If Kiara was the key to his happiness, then he'd have to try his luck with her. She was a wonderful lioness with an amazing heart, and if by the grace of the Gods he was able to earn her love and, one day, marry her, she had parents that he could certainly get along well with. Yes, he would definitely have to look her up one day soon, when he got a chance, and when Kovu was nowhere nearby...
Meanwhile, Sefu was starting to wake up... Sort of. The panther was still curled up into a ball with face hidden under his paws, but the paw-digits of his right paw were slightly spread so that he could see through them. A habit of his, since he didn't want to get up when it was still dark out, because if he did, there was no hope of him getting back to sleep.
Plus, if someone he didn't want to see was hanging around near him to pester him when he woke up, he could feign sleep long enough for them to get bored and go away. Though that was hardly necessary anymore, since he had few social acquaintances.
After laying motionless for a few minutes, Sefu decided it was time to get up. The panther uncurled himself, gave a long stretch accompanied by a rather loud yawn, then slowly and groggily staggered to his paws. The first thing he noted was that Jamall's scent lingered in the den, so his lion friend had likely gotten in and left all before he woke up. Meaning that there was little reason to hang around the den, since the last time he saw Jamall, the lion said that he was only at Pride Rock when sleeping or eating.
So he figured he'd search out Simba and take the king up on the offer he had made last night. Maybe also get introduced to some of the Pride so that he didn't get attacked on sight by a overprotective mother lioness.
With that goal in mind, Sefu started out of the den, down Pride Rock, and off into the Pride Lands. From his experience, Male lions tended to patrol their territories every day, and with how long Simba had been king, Sefu figured he would have made a habit of patrolling the same route every day. So there'd be a fairly well-worn path where he patrolled, which is what Sefu was looking for.
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Lodrill Dao
Adolescent Lion
100% fan of Kiara
Posts: 209
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Post by Lodrill Dao on Jan 18, 2009 21:43:08 GMT -5
"What are these?" Taraji asked and pointed to a few dots near the water hole. A herd of Antelopes were getting a drink there. Taraji took the distance between her an Jamall with a few jumps and nudged Jamall as he did not directly answer. "Hey Jamall, tell me. What are these animals there?" Her eyes were sparkling in agitation to learn about these animals she never had seen before. She continued to nudge Jamall impatiently with both of her little paws.
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Post by KiarasMate on Jan 18, 2009 22:30:03 GMT -5
Simba decided it best to go return to Jamall's den, to see if any of the previous sleeping creatures had joined him hin the land of consciousness. He failed to spot the two figures atop Pride Rock, who happened to be Jamall and the young lioness cub. Simba started to make his way towards Jamall's den, not knowing exactly what he was going to say upon reaching the den, but still, he figured he might as well check up on both Sefu and the young cub to see how they both were doing.
It didn't take long for Simba to spot a lone figure, making its way towards him. He squinted a bit, as the figured advanced towards his current position. It took Simba only a split second to realize who it was. The distinctive black fur gave it instantly away.
"Why, good morning Sefu. So we meet again. I hope you slept well in Jamall's den." Simba called out to the panther as he quickened his pace to meet up with his hopeful new addition to his Pride. He stopped as the two of them intersected paths. "I find it funny how Jamall had you sleep in the corner of his den. How good of friends are you again?" Simba asked in a friendly manner.
Simba smiled hospitably towards Sefu as he spoke once more.
"So, now that you've had a hopeful, restful night's sleep, did you get a chance to think over my offer? Like I said, I can't promise you all that much, but I give you my word that you will enjoy yourself for as long as your a part of my Pride. We all look out for one another and treat anyone, regardless of species, as one of our own."
Simba paused, to give his panther friend a chance to respond, all the while, hoping that he would take him up on his proposition, as he didn't know who else to turn to. Vitani was out of the question, Kiara had her own matters to attend to with Kovu, Jamall obviously had his paws full with the little lioness cub and Simba wasn't about to have his own mate Nala go out and do any such work as gathering information on the young cub. Sefu was his only hope, but he showed no sign of desperation as he awaited the feline's reply.
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Post by Jiang on Jan 18, 2009 23:14:47 GMT -5
"Hmmm?"
Jamall's head had been in the clouds as he was thinking of Kiara, thus he didn't realize Taraji was asking a question until she was right next to him, nudging him with both paws. "Oh, those things?" He asked, looking off at the watering hole, at the creatures there. "Those are Antelopes." He replied, slowly rising to his paws and continuing to gaze out at the watering hole for a moment more, then looking down at Taraji.
The moment Sefu had spotted a lion off in the distance, the black panther started bounding towards him at a light jog. After all, he figured that the only male lion patrolling the Pride Lands would be either Simba or Jamall, so no matter which of the two it was, he'd have someone to talk to.
He was happy to find that the distant lion was Simba, just the fellow he wanted to see! "Morning King Simba!" He hollered back at the lion, as he closed in. A good-natured laugh slipped from his muzzle as Simba queried him on how good a friend's he was with Jamall. "We're close friends, I wasn't sure where he slept, so I slept in a corner. He wasn't in when I got to his den. Well, that, and I've always been partial to sleeping in the corner."
After falling silent as Simba spoke, the panther laughed softly and smiled at the larger lion. "I mean no disrespect, King Simba, but what is not much to you, is extravagant to me. I gladly accept your offer, sir." The panther said, taking a respectful tone with his voice, and extending a friendly forepaw towards Simba.
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Lodrill Dao
Adolescent Lion
100% fan of Kiara
Posts: 209
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Post by Lodrill Dao on Jan 19, 2009 0:34:48 GMT -5
Taraji looked up to Jamall with big eyes and then jumped back to the edge of the rock to watch the antilopes. "These are antelopes? My mother told me about them but I've never seen one." She pattered from one paw to another while watching the antelopes leaving the water hole. The followed them with her eyes and then ran to the other edge of the rock while jumping in excitement. She nearly fell over the edge because she stopped a bit to late. Then she watched the scenery on this side of the rock. "What is that land there where the shadows are?" she asked and looked with shiny eyes to Jamall.
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Post by KiarasMate on Jan 19, 2009 14:50:19 GMT -5
Simba was very happy about Sefu's eagerness to accept his offer. He gave the panther a warm smile as he gladly extended one of his large fore paws, grasping his fellow feline's paw and giving it a firm shake, before speaking.
"I'm so glad you've decided to take me up on this Sefu. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure if you would or not, seeing as I hardly know you, but from what I do know of you thus far, I'm really liking. You seem to have a very caring heart and you treat everyone with respect. That is just the type of behavior I look for in all of my Pride Members, so I'm more than happy to warmly accept you into the Pride."
Simba released the panther's paw, looking about before speaking once more.
"By any chance, did you happen to see that young lioness cub, who was sleeping with Jamall this morning?" Simba asked Sefu, in a curious tone, as he didn't know if Sefu and his old friend had actually gotten the chance to catch up on things or not. "Oh, Jamall isn't a father, just so you're not confused. He's just taking care of this young lioness cub he came across while he was doing a scouting run for me. This kind of leads me to my first job for you Sefu. I hate to break you in really early to your duties, but this is somewhat of an important matter, to me at least."
Simba looked at Sefu, taking a moment to gather his plan of action for his newly recruited friend.
"Well, seeing as the young lioness cub's parents were nowhere to be found when Jamall discovered her, I have the unsettling feeling that they might have passed on. I really don't want to think this, but it just seems logical to me." Simba said, giving Sefu a quick look. "You wouldn't happen to be a father at all, would you Sefu? Because me, being a parent, I don't see how any parent could leave their offspring without any protection or care. This is why I think her parents are no longer with us."
Simba paused shortly, giving Sefu a chance to take in all he had just told him, before resuming.
"Well, just to be sure of this fact, I would like you to try and gather as much information on this young lioness cub as you possibly can. You don't have to dig up anything too graphic, but I would like to know if this young lioness cub, is indeed, alone in this world. She has truly taken a liking to your friend Jamall, and I'd hate to have to seperate them in any way, but if her parents are alive somehow, I think it best to try and reunite them at any cost. So, this is my first task for you Sefu, my friend. Please, take your time with it though. There is no rush, as I can see that the cub is very happy here in The Pride Lands, well, at least when she's around Jamall that is. She hasn't quite warmed up to me yet, but all in good time, I'm sure."
Simba finished speaking and stood patiently, awaiting Sefu's response to what he had just proposed.
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Post by Jiang on Jan 19, 2009 20:40:59 GMT -5
"That's the Elephant Graveyard. The Outlands are over there as well. No-one's allowed in either the Graveyard or the Outlands without first telling someone, so that if we go missing, the Pride knows to send a search party." Jamall replied. At least, he thought it that the rule was still to inform someone of where you were going if you ventured to the Outlands or the Elephant Graveyard. He hadn't really bothered checking if that rule was still in play, now that the Outlanders had come home, and that the Hyenas were mostly gone. "When you're older, I'll take you out there and show you around the Elephant Graveyard. But it isn't a safe place for a cubs, since there are lots of places to slip and hurt yourself."
Sefu had to fight to keep his smile from morphing into a grin. He was finally out of the Jungle, away from all the bad memories and loneliness there!
The panther listened attentively as Simba spoke of the lioness cub who had slept with Jamall. Whoa... Jamall went and got a mate and cub while I've been gone? Geez, so much for him being girl shy.
As Simba intended, the lion's following words did clear up the initial confusion that the question had instilled in the panther. Oh, that explains that. The classic 'lost cub wandering into the Pride Lands' scenario.
Sefu's ears flattened slightly as he listened to what more Simba had to say on the matter. So she is likely an orphan. If that was the case, then he certainly had a very good idea what she was going through, or possibly had already gone through, after losing her folks. That insight was gained because he too was orphaned when he was a cub.
"Yes, I am... Was a father. I agree with that sentiment, any parent with half a heart wouldn't just dump their child on the edge of another Pride's lands." He said quietly.
He listened as King Simba laid out his task for him, paying attention to every detail the lion gave. "Allright, sounds pretty straightforward... I'll get right on it after I meet this cub for myself and learn her name. I won't ask her anything beyond that, though. Well, if she even talks to me at all. If she hasn't warmed up to you yet, then I imagine it'll take her quite some time to get used to a creature as alien as me!" Sefu replied, smile returning to his muzzle as he tried to lighten the mood of the situation slightly.
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Lodrill Dao
Adolescent Lion
100% fan of Kiara
Posts: 209
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Post by Lodrill Dao on Jan 19, 2009 21:07:05 GMT -5
Taraji's look got a bit sad and she shook her head. "I... don't want to... go there." She did not want to go to any creepy place and this elephant graveyard really sounded creepy to her. She looked down the cliff of the high rock and saw the figures of Simba and Sefu. They were just down the rock and Taraji slid back carefully before raising her eyes to Jamall again. She had noticed that Simba was walking in this direction. "Where do we go next?" she asked whispering as if Simba could hear her talking else. She was pleased to be alone with Jamall.
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Post by KiarasMate on Jan 19, 2009 21:09:20 GMT -5
Simba heard the tone in Sefu's response to his question about being a father, causing him to regret bringing up that subject.
"Oh, I'm sorry Sefu. I didn't mean to bring up any ill memories for you my friend. I had no idea. I know though, that you can see where I'm coming from on this subject. That's why it's so important to keep this matter as subtle as possible. No need causing anyone in this Pride, worry or stress, and that goes for you too as well Sefu. Yes, this is a job for you to do, but I, by no means, want you to over work yourself on this matter. Just take it at your own pace and let me know what you manage to find." Simba stated in a relaxed tone.
Simba smiled once more at Sefu. He really did sense a warmth of friendliness that seemed to eminate from the panther, making him feel as though he could fully trust this relatively new stranger.
"Thank you so much Sefu. I know I can count on you and if you happen to even learn the new cub's name, you'll already be one step ahead of myself. I haven't even gotten her to speak a single word to me, but that's okay. I'm sure everything is still very new to her here, and as long as she's safe, that's all that truly matters to me. Jamall is a great care taker for her anyways. You have a great taste in friends Sefu. Jamall has been a very loyal member of my Pride for quite some time now, and I'm certain that I can expect the same from you."
Simba gazed up at the mid-day's sun, taking in its enjoyable warmth before speaking once more to the panther.
"So, now that you are a part of the Pride, why don't you take a look around these lands. There's nothing to worry about or to be cautious of here, other than wandering into a lioness's den unexpectedly. That might get you in more trouble than any other danger could here in The Pride Lands Sefu." Simba spoke, giving a light hearted chuckle afterwards.
Simba got up from his sitting position he had been taking, stretching his limbs a bit before glancing back at Sefu.
"Get to know the lands and your fellow Pride Members. I will try and spread the word about your presence as well, so that you don't get too many strange looks. We're all very tollerant and accepting to any new-comers though Sefu, so you should have nothing to worry about, like I said."
Simba gave the panther one last smile before deciding that he should be getting on with the rest of his rounds.
"Well, I will leave you to your own accord for now Sefu. Please come see me if you have any problems or further questions, or better yet, if you find out anything about the young lioness cub. My den is located at the heart of Pride Rock, the tall, majestic structure you see behind us in the distance there. If I'm not in, my mate, Nala, will be more than happy to help you out as well. She's quite the lioness my friend, so you can't miss her." Simba stated with a small grin plastered onto his muzzle.
Simba gave the panther a quick, respective sign of appreciation, before he excused himself and made his way back to his den.
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Post by Jiang on Jan 19, 2009 22:07:50 GMT -5
"You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to, Taraji." Jamall replied in a soft voice. He slightly raised one eyebrow when she slipped back from the edge, then spoke in a whisper when she inquired as to where they were heading next. "Well... Hmm..." The lion tapped his chin with a paw-digit as he thought, trying to think of a place to go that she'd enjoy. In the end, all he could think of was the grasslands, but he had suggested those earlier. Oh well! "How about the grasslands? It'll be interesting as long as some of the sillier creatures are around. Like the gophers and lizards."
"Yeah, I think I will take a look around. Thank you for everything, King Simba." Sefu said, before the other male took his leave. The panther paused for a moment, then looked up at Pride Rock, a grin stretching across his muzzle as he once again reminded himself that this was his home now. Just have to find a den of my own now. Don't want to intrude on Jamall, or anyone else for that matter. He thought cheerily, while he started to trot along towards the majestic structure, gaze still locked upon the top.
It took the panther a few more seconds of staring at the crest of the stone pillar, he saw what he thought was the outline of a large lion upon it. Now granted, it was quite a ways off and he couldn't really tell, but if he had to guess, he'd say it was Jamall! Or maybe it was that Kovu guy. Or just a big-framed lioness, or some lion he had never heard of. But he preferred to think of the first guess that popped into his head as being correct. And with that hopeful thought in mind, Sefu broke into a jog, heading directly for Pride Rock. From there, he'd figure out how to get to the top.
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