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P-Meet the lion in vulture feathers; [Open to Pridelanders]
Topic Started: Aug 9 2011, 10:40 PM (625 Views)
Vivu
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The Buzzard Lion
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"Amazing. Simply amazing."

those were the only words Vivu was capable of uttering when he gazed upon the pridelands. Never before had he seen such a place, not even in his dreams. The green lush grass, the wonder that was Pride Rock. 'So this is what the vultures constantly talked about', thought Vivu as he surveyed the land around him. He took the time to notice the grasslands before him, something that he had never seen before in the unforgiving desert. Vivu had never seen grass before, in fact he had never seen a tree before. What was commonplace to most pridelanders was a phenomenon to him.

"What is this green soft talon jutting from the ground?" he thought aloud, brushing it with the back of his paw. Vivu's tail curved with curiosity as he slowly made his way through the seemingly endless row of grass. He couldn't help but keep his eyes fixated on the ground. His ears twitched as the noise of the grass grazed his hearing. It was a strange sensation, yet all the while, it felt good. The lanky cub tore his eyes from the ground to watch the members of his venue, who wore soaring through the skies above him. Vivu allowed a small smile to grace his maw, and bowed in approval, grateful for this opportunity.

Vivu began to search the horizon for any wildlife, particularly lions. Throughout most of his life, vultures were the only creatures he had friendly interactions with. Was he nervous? Yes, but if he could take down a wildebeest at his age, surely he could escape should it come to that. Vivu let out a small breath, "...Griffon is gone, it's time for Vivu to be... Vivu..." he felt his stomach curl as the words came. Could he really be anything else? Could he really regain his lion half that he tried so hard to abandon? Vivu rested on his hind legs in the middle of the grass, cogitating on what could happen from here.
Pridelanders: Vivu
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Majabalians:
Enzi
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Spiritsrain
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There was a soft humming as something moved through the grasses, rustling them lightly.The vocalizations were obviously female and feline, as they had the rough edge of a purr at the end of some notes.

The shaman of the Pridelands, Orrin, moved gracefully through the grasses, eyes and nose on the alert for any plants she could use in her healing and rituals. She sniffed about lightly, her pale coat contrasting well with the sunlight dancing on the grasses.

She continued on her way, sniffing softly and humming, when suddenly she caught a whiff of a strange smell. She could scent lion on the air, as well as the rank, harsh scent of buzzards. Orrin twitched her ears. She assumed that a lion must've made a kill and the buzzards had come to claim it. But then, why had she not seen them circling?

This piqued her curiosity, and so Orrin continued toward the smell, until it lead her to a young male lion.She blinked her blue eyes, tilting her head slightly."I've never seen you here."She said gently."Who are you? Where do you come from?"
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Vivu
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The Buzzard Lion
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Vivu's acute sense of hearing picked up Orrin's humming. Instinctively, he turned towards her in a defensive position. But when he saw the source of the noise, he relaxed his body, yet still kept his guard up. As Orrin neared, Vivu could barely contain his anxiousness. But in the back of his mind, he hoped it that it wouldn't end like last time.

The lioness didn't seem to wish him any ill will, always a good sign. The buzzard lion tilted his head and analyzed Orrin's features, his eyes never blinking as he measured her up. She would've put up quite the fight had they met in the desert, had she met Griffon. Vivu took a brief glance towards his fellow scavengers before addressing Orrin's questions.

'I am...' he hissed, catching himself before he continued. The lanky cub closed his eyes for a moment, inwardly admonishing himself for trying to communicate to a lion like a vulture. "I am... Vivu." He stated, his voice had a distinct rasp to it, the result of having to hiss and grunt with the vultures for so long. It was the first time in a while he had used his birth name in conversation.

"I come from..." this was where it began to fall apart for Vivu. What could he say? I've been living in the desert, my family's dead, and I've been killing other animals for the vultures in exchange for my survival? That would paint him as a monster. And he was convinced that everyone knew of his exploits as the Griffon of the desert. With these thoughts racing in his mind, Vivu took a few paces towards the direction of the desert. Placing a paw out, he spoke up, "far ah-way" with awkward pronunciation. Unbeknownst to Vivu, the long rough repugnant gash on his back was in plain sight.
Pridelanders: Vivu
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Kita
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Fire is Catching
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  • A smaller lioness was following Orrin that day, though Kitara doubted that the older lion realized she had been stalked though the grasslands. Her ears kept swiveling, though, taking in the sounds of her humming. The cub doubted that the lioness could even hear herself over that awful noise, much less the small footsteps and pounces of an overly-curious cub.

    She'd wandered away from Pride Rock again, deciding she'd rather run back after Orrin than face the wrath of the annoyed lionesses. They were slightly more forgiving this time, though. They'd seen her go running off after the pale lioness, giving them reason to relax and go back to chatting.

    She pounced from grass clump to grass clump, glad of her newfound freedom. As long as she stayed somewhat near the shaman, it got every else off of her back. She continued to jump, landing on twigs and leaves and bugs that seemed to keep getting away from her.

    A soft caw overhead finally broke her attention. The little lioness glanced up, seeing a few darkish birds circle the area above. Strange. Kita quickly returned her gaze back to the grasslands, curious to see where the dead animal was. That was the only reason those scavengers would be here, after all.

    She found him right away. Up on his back legs, like nothing she'd ever seen before. Curious, Kita attempted to mimic his stance, rearing up on her legs for a brief moment before tumbling forward. She ran towards this strange lion, noticing that he, too, was a cub like her. Although it may not last long, Kita wanted to at least meet this outsider.

    "Why are those birds following you?" She called to him, bounding over and pointing a paw into the air. "Don't they know that you're not dead?"

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uli-buse le lizwe lzwe lethu
Kitara ; Jasiri ; Tembo ; Raziel ; Riza ; Mira ; Alyeska ;
Safia ;Tashee ; Kashee ;[/align]
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Spiritsrain
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Orrin listened intently as the young lion spoke to her, finding his voice strange down to the dialect. She had never heard of anything speaking in such a way as he was, at least not that she could understand.

Her interested was piqued further when he gave no specific name for where he had come from."It is nice to meet you, Vivu."She told him, keeping her tone gentle and kind."I am Orrin, Shaman of the Pridelands."

She looked the cub over, eyes taking in his scraggly appearance. She wanted to ask him why he smelled so strongly of vultures, but thought that to be rude and so remained quiet on the subject.

It was then that she saw the gash on his back."You poor thing!"Orrin whispered, walking around him to take a better look."How did you get this? Please, let me see."
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Vivu
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It was then that Vivu turned his sight towards Kitara. A strange light gleamed in his eyes, that instinctive fighting nature in Vivu stirred. He noticed the build of the lioness, strong upper body with scrawny hind legs. In short, perfect sparring partner. However, he paused entertaining such thoughts when she asked him about his venue. Obviously they hadn't flown away. True, venues stayed together, but surely they realized how strange this looked. Nevertheless...

Vivu didn't even look towards the sky, "They are my venue." he stated as if talking about his tail, and immediately bit his tongue. It was the truth, but he was trying to have a decent interaction with his own species. And to his knowledge, lions didn't form alliances with vultures. This would only lead to further questioning about his origins, about Griffon.

When Orrin spoke of his scar, Vivu mentally cursed himself; how could he be so careless? It was at this point he decided that it was pointless trying to hide who he was. Hanging his head, Vivu let out a drawn out buzzard grunt, it was storytelling time. "You said you were a shaman..." he began, looking away from her, "sheur-ly you've heard the stories of 'The Griffon of the Desert', no?" it was then that he revealed his eyes, carrying a hint of guilt. A lioness was dead because of his actions, and he could assume who else would be after him. Granted, that was the only time someone sought him out in revenge, but what if it didn't end there?
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Kita
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  • Kitara glanced up at the buzzards again, then back at Vivu, with a confused expression gradually turning into a not-so-confused ones as the pieces fell together. When he spoke, though, it sounded strange. Like he didn't think the vultures ahead were anything unusual, as if he'd known about them for a good amount of time now.
    He didn't even bother to glance upwards as he spoke, so he clearly must know about whatever they were circling.

    "Oh." She said, nodding her head at Vivu. "So you're just following them, then? Looking for their food?" She questioned, pushing herself up onto the tips of all four paws in an attempt to get a better view of the horizon. It made sense that a lone cub like him would follow scavengers like that, with them leading him to a free, effortless meal. Sure, it wouldn't be the tastiest one, but a cub like him couldn't take down any big prey animals...could he?

    "But I still don't see any dead zebras." Her brow furrowed slightly."What's the point of following buzzards if there's no food around?" She said, her skepticim clear.

    She glanced back at the newcomer, a little annoyed to see that he'd already turned away from her and begun talking to Orrin. Typical.

    "Hey." She cut back in, walking closer to Orrin. "No, I haven't 'heard the stories of "the Griffon of the Desert'" She sarcastically said. "Besides, you said your name is Vivu." Not Griffon.




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uli-buse le lizwe lzwe lethu
Kitara ; Jasiri ; Tembo ; Raziel ; Riza ; Mira ; Alyeska ;
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Spiritsrain
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"You said you were a shaman...sheur-ly you've heard the stories of 'The Griffon of the Desert',no?"

Again Orrin wondered about the cub's strange vocalizations, but did not want to ask, in fear of offending him. before she could answer the cub though, Kitara cut in.

"So you're just following them, then? Looking for their food?But I still don't see any dead zebras. I haven't 'heard the stories of "the Griffon of the Desert'.Besides, you said your name is Vivu."

Orrin turned her eyes to female cub."Kitara, please."She scolded lightly, knowing it was not really her place."Please do not interrupt."

Her gaze returned to the newcomer."I have heard the tales, yes. But they are only that. Nothing more than a cub's bedtime story.I must ask why you ask such a question though."
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Vivu
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Vivu didn't know whether to feel proud or nervous. News of his deeds reached far indeed. Bedtime story? Vivu had to stop himself from scoffing at the thought. Nightmare was more apt. He had become a monster to cubs, that thing their parents told them would get them if they didn't behave. All that did was upset Vivu more, he hated falsehoods. He wouldn't attack without reason, the sick or the dying, anyone else was off-limits.

I struck him that Kitara didn't seem to know what he meant by 'venue'. Vivu thought what it meant was obvious, but then again, Pridelanders. This meant he would have to start using the lions terminology, provided he could remember it. It took him a few moments to find the words he was looking for. Lions traveled in prides, they roared, and they had cubs instead of chicks. After a brief review, the buzzard lion decided it was time to answer.

Vivu directed his attention towards Kitara, deciding he would answer her questions first, "I'm not following them..." Suddenly, the vultures lowered in altitude, "They... are following me." he lowered his head in a bow, "They are my, how do you seh, pry-de?" he knew he butchered that word, so he tried again, "Pride." Yes, that sounded right. Vivu made a sharp turn and began to stride, his eyes still focusing on the grass. It was still bizarre to him. For a moment, his gash was in plain sight to both of them.

Vivu let out a foreign hiss before facing them once more. "I carry the scent of death. Is it not Ob-vious?" Vivu stated to Orrin, hoping that she could put the pieces together. He wondered how they would react? Would they fear him? Resent him? Or pity him? He didn't want to be the Griffon anymore. Too much pain...
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Kita
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  • Ktara didn't want to admit that she'd heard bits and pieces of the tales of the desert griffon, whispered between a few frightened cubs one evening. She hadn't been close enough to be a part of the conversation, but she had caught a snippet or two. Just enough to tell that the other cubs were definitely afraid of this creature, whether or not it was real.

    She ignored the warning tones of Orrin behind her, taking a step towards the buzzard lion to get a better look at him. She'd never been one that talented at reading body language, so naturally she was completely oblivious as to how uncomfortable Vivu was beginning to be.

    Kita stopped her slow advance, eyes now transfixed on the swooping vultures as they began to draw nearer to the group. Or, to Vivu, it seemed.

    They...are following me. He said, so drawn out, so dramatically. All he needed was a quick gust of wind to blow back his pathetic excuse for a hair-tuft and the scene would be perfect, in the cub's opinion.

    She was still a bit confused as to how the vultures could be a part of his pride, though, considering that prides were generally made of only felines, and usually lead by an adult, not a cub no bigger than herself.

    "That's silly." She said, missing the obvious connection from Vivu to the Griffon of the Desert. "Vultures don't follow lions around. Lions chase them away from stuff."

    I carry the scent of death. Is it not Ob-vious?

    The cub said, staring at her as if she should be mad at him or something. He quickly switched his gaze to Orrin, though, as if he didn't trust her to figure out the perfectly-clear conclusion to his words.

    "Yes, it's quite 'ob-vious'" Kita started, mimicking Vivu's strange voice. "if you smell so bad, then just go down to the river. You know, those wet things they don't have out there in that desert you love? Stop smelling so funny and maybe they'll stop stalking you. It's easy." She said, stressing her last word.

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Kitara ; Jasiri ; Tembo ; Raziel ; Riza ; Mira ; Alyeska ;
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Spiritsrain
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"Yes, it's quite 'ob-vious'.If you smell so bad, then just go down to the river. You know, those wet things they don't have out there in that desert you love? Stop smelling so funny and maybe they'll stop stalking you. It's easy."

Orrin's head instantly snapped to look at Kitara, eyes flashing with irritation."Kitara! Do not speak to a guest like that! If you want to speak that way, then do it away from others."She felt deeply embarrassed by the cub who, until now had behaved decently under her eye.

Her blue eyes then returned to Vivu."I'm sorry."She apologized."And I do believe Kitara has something to say to you as well."She said, shoving her forward gently with her paw. "She has a little trouble remembering her manners."
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Vivu
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Now, Vivu was offended. Could anyone possibly be this dense? It seemed pretty obvious to him, that he was the Griffon of the Desert. Vivu’s focus shifted entirely on Kitara, ignoring Orrin for a moment. 'Idiot…' Vivu mouthed in the vulture dialect. He had to restrain himself from unsheathing his claws. That would only make him more enemies, even worse, ones that knew his face.

It was at this point, Tai landed on Vivu’s back, perching on the side of his jagged scar. Though Tai’s eyes were nearly unreadable to the lions, it was clear that he did not appreciate what they were putting Vivu through. Vivu was a part of the venue, and venue’s stick together. Since his birth, Vivu was seldom mocked. He has been scorned, threatened, and even attacked. The last animal who had mocked him was the wildebeest, and he paid with his life. Tai did not want Vivu to make any more enemies than he already had. So he uttered in the lion’s ear, “Control your temperament." Easier said than done.

"I'm sorry. And I do believe Kitara has something to say to you as well. She has a little trouble remembering her manners"

Vivu gave a firm nod of agreement, as Orrin pushed Kitara forward. As he waited for Kitara's not even halfhearted apology, Vivu could tell that the two of them were going to go head-to-head sooner or later. That suited Vivu fine, someone to help keep his fighting skills sharp.
Pridelanders: Vivu
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Kita
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  • Kitara! Do not speak to a guest like that! If you want to speak that way, then do it away from others.

    "What?" Kitara said, in the voice typically used by those pretending to be innocent. In this case, though, it was genuine. She still hadn't made the connection between the Griffon and Vivu, and with no one spelling it out to her, it would remain a mystery to her. "If he smells so bad, than he should take a bath in the river."

    She suddenly realized a possible source of Orrin's anger. "Oh!" She quickly exclaimed, realizing that the river would in fact be quite the dangerous place to bath. Many lions had drowned after being caught in the current. No wonder they were so mad at her! They must have thought she was leading the cub to his death!

    "I mean, you could always go to the water hole." She added on, nose still slightly wrinkled. She almost suggested that a lioness might bath him...but then she glanced back over at the creepy cub. Nope, not going to happen.

    I'm sorry. And I do believe Kitara has something to say to you as well. She has a little trouble remembering her manners.

    The cub firmly resisted Orrin as she shoved her forwards. A particularly omnious vulture had landed on Vivu's back and was currently staring her down. There was no way she was going to get any closer to that cub, especially with that freaky bird on his back.

    She turned back to Orrin, a questioning look in her eyes. "But I only said the truth..." She tried, still unsure as to why an apology was necessary. After a moment, she let out a sigh and grumbled something out in a monotone. "I'm sorry I told you to go to the river."[/color]
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Embyr_Somm
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Agent, not a Gent
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  • Time for another check up. Ever since her arrival, Amina had agreed to see the shaman and have the lump on her head examined on a regular basis. It was less bruised than before, but was still tender in spots. Thankfully, the healing was progressing well, or so she was told. That pesky memory loss remained an issue, but it was hoped that would go away in time, too.

    As she had promised her guardian, Amina went straight to the Tree of Life. Calling up to the great branches, she had waited for a reply, but none came. Deciding to try again later, the cub was on her way back to the den, this time taking a more scenic route, when she spotted Orrin in the distance. The cub yelled out to her, but the older lioness seemed busy.

    Not meaning to eavesdrop, but definitely curious, Amina crept quietly forward. The maneuvering wasn't sneaky, but it did allow her time to hear part of the group's conversation first. She, too, had heard of Griffon, but thought it was supposed to be a lion with a stork's head. Or was it bird with a cat's head and a falcon's beak? She couldn't remember the exact details, but it did have the ability to peck its enemies to death. Anyways, it couldn't be "Griffon"; this cub physically looked more like a lion than a bird.

    When one of the newcomer's "followers" perched on his shoulder, her paced slowed even more. Vultures had an unpleasant, intimidating atmosphere around them.
    "Then again, maybe it could be..." she thought, seeing the strange comfort he had with the flock. Intentional or not, it gave her the creeps, but what Kitara had said to him was far worse than eerie, winged animals.

    Finally, she padded to the Shamaness' side, giving a light, but friendly 'hello" to all of them. She withheld further questions or eternal expressions, particularly the kind that showed how bothered she was by her young pridemate's ramblings. Waiting was a hard task, but hopefully Amina would have her turn soon.

4 - Adult creatures
3 - Baby critters
2 - Adolescents

and an 'Embyr' in a pear tree >D
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Vivu
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Monotone and completely dishonest apology, just as Vivu had expected; how charming. The buzzard lion would've replied with apology accepted, but he feared he would probably butcher it, so instead... "received." he knew that this was only the beginning of Vivu vs. Kitara. At least he wouldn't be bored in the Pridelands. The idea of having someone to feud with seemed kind of amusing. Annoying, but amusing all the same. If anything, Vivu could learn the art of sarcasm from Kitara...

Tai took off from Vivu's back, making his way back to the sky with the other vultures. Tai just wanted to get a good look at the lioness who was disrespecting him, Vivu and the other vultures. They could hear what she was saying too. They were used to blatant misconceptions and disrespect, but with Vivu around, they felt that now they could actually have someone speak for them. So those who antagonize with Vivu, risk incurring the wrath of the vultures.

Vivu stared at the new lioness in curiosity. She had a strange aura about her, but then again, Vivu wouldn't know what qualified as a strange aura when dealing with lions. Now just what part did she play in all of this? The predominantly brown lioness seemingly came out of nowhere.

Vivu recalled what Orrin was saying about him being a cub's scary story. Perhaps she was attracted here by the buzzards in the sky? He could tell that she was clearly troubled by all of this. Provided she wasn't like Kitara, Tai's actions would've pretty much confirmed him to be the Griffon. Despite this, all he could do was look at her with those orange eyes of his. He didn't know what to say. What could he say?
Pridelanders: Vivu
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