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 Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:18 am
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The message was clear enough for Apollo when it was given in the Bahari.
Apollo was a rogue-sired child, a lioness born to her mother by an outsider, and with this, the pride had now placed blame for misfortune on her shoulders -- on her litter, on her mother, and others like them who dared love as their hearts said, and...
It was frightening to feel threatened so. Frightening and unhappy, and while the meeting occured, Apollo smuggled herself away, fleeing to find a safe place -- maybe start a little family like her mother tried. She wasn't used to leaving beaches though -- Apollo had grown up by the sea, even away from the Kizingo'zaa borders, and when she ran, she ran directly to a lush jungle.. Wherein she was quick to realize she didn't know how to find large prey, or track more than prints, or what plants were good to eat (asnd some sweet, nice scents came from a few). She'd forgotten to brimng fish, and, finding tracking even small prey hard in the dense jungle, the lioness chose to walk, half huddled, and absolutely terrified through tyhe foilage, tail wavering as she moved, and the lioness trembled.
Ebverything was horrible and nothing was okay... Mayber it never would be, either.
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 3:27 pm
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Fumblepaws was living up to his name again. Full-grown or not, he still tripped over his own feet like a gangly adolescent more often than not, and that was exactly what he'd done now. He'd grown up in the jungle, and yet here he was, trying to untangle himself from a mess of vines and roots that he'd somehow managed to fall into in just the right way to get... well, a little stuck.
Grumbling under his breath, he wiggled ferociously, then started chewing on one particularly woody vine that he couldn't quite get off of him. "No luck except for bad luck," he complained to himself, finally biting through it and shoving himself free, all but landing on his nose in the process. Now free, he paused, aware that he could hear something nearby.
Was that - oh, no. He hoped no-one had seen that embarrassing spectacle!
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 5:58 pm
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2018 12:27 am
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Oh. Oh no, a stranger had seen him. and a pretty one at that. Fumblepaws glanced around, but there were no helpful pits that he could throw himself into to escape his own embarrassment.
"Fine - I'm... I'm fine," he mumbled, looking down at his paws for a moment, before remembering that he was not only a grown lion, he was a big one, and he'd better stop acting like a cub caught trying to pull his mother's tail. "You're... not interrupting anything, save me making a fool of myself. Are -"
He paused, one ear flicking as he looked her over, noticing how she was trembling and frightened, and Fumblepaws didn't think that it had anything to do with him. "Are you okay, miss?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 11:49 pm
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"...You had to - that's awful!" Fumblepaws yelped, his own embarrassment fading away entirely, replaced by concern for this poor lioness. "What kind of pride would do that to anyone for something they couldn't help?" He shook his head, then sighed and moved over, dipping his head politely.
"If you're seeking refuge, you can come with me," he said, reasonably sure that this would be alright. She couldn't have come from far away, which meant the pride she was fleeing was probably - oh. Oh, dear. Oh that sounded like a problem, but one for lions smarter and more capable than he was. Politics was far above his head and not something he had any business getting involved in.
But he could help this pretty lioness. "This jungle is my home," he said, gold eyes gentle. "Our pride would never turn away someone in need. If - if you'd like to come with me, anyway? It's safer than stumbling around on your own! Hunting here is very different from anywhere else, and I'm not very good at it but I could try to help - or maybe someone else I know could, if you'd prefer to talk to someone else, or - "
Oh, no, he was rambling, wasn't he?
"...Anyway. The offer stands, if you want it."
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 3:20 pm
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"No! Not at all," Fumblepaws was quick to assure, even if he did make a few embarrassed squeaks as the pretty lady hid her face in his mane. The poor thing was terrified, and that was awful. No-one should ever be this scared, certainly not when they committed no crime - being born wasn't something anyone could help, and the idea that they brought misfortune...
Well, he'd wandered the rogue lands for a time, he'd seen some of the things others believed and didn't usually mind them. But if they were actively hurting members of their own pride, then they needed to do something about those beliefs and stop hurting others.
"I - so you'd like to come with me?" He asked, wanting to be sure. "I promise, it's safe here so long as you don't mean to bring any harm. You could... stay, too, if you'd like?" He thought he might like that, really - she was pretty, and seemed very sweet, and she needed somewhere safe. Staying here really did sound like it was her best option - definitely better than staying in her old home and dealing with others treating her terribly!
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:14 am
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"I'd like that." Apollo said softly, peering up with large, frightened eyes. "I.. You'd... You'd keep me safe? Thank you!"
Apollo all but cuddled into Fumblepaws, before stepping back, sniffling a bit. "Thank you, I promise to help,m I do -- I can even fish! I'm good at fishing, if you can point me in the direction of your beach?? I know I smell the sea and hear it, but... Oh, please? Please let me repay you?" |
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:18 am
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"I'd certainly try," Fumblepaws said, nosing gently at her. "And the rest of my pride would step in wen I couldn't. We're not a bad sort, whatever tales you may have heard." He certainly didn't know what their neighbors thought of them - he'd wandered inland when he had left, not along the coast - but if this gentle female was this frightened he couldn't imagine it was anything good.
"Fishing? I'm no good with the water, myself - too clumsy. If you're good at it, then you're even more talented than you are pretty!" ...Oops. Oops, had he said that out loud? "I - er - I mean - ...." Ears pinned, he slunk backwards and tried not to look too nervous. "...I mean... you could probably be a real help and I can show you where the beach is from here once you've met everyone else and I'm really, really sorry that was too forward of me GAH!"
Just to add to his humiliation, as he stepped backwards, one foot caught on a large tree root and down he tumbled, flat onto his belly. Nope, that was it, it was official. The universe hated him!
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:29 am
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Pretty?
The big, strong, sweet, handsome male thought she was pretty? Then being roguesired wasn't bad! And.... Ooohhh... Apollo turned bright red umnder her fur, blinking. He liked her, too? Did it always go so fast-- And then he backed away so that he tripped, and SApoollo hurried after him, wiggling to help him up before pressing a very shy kiss to his muzzle.
"I... I don't mind. I... I'd like all of that. Especially if a handsome male like you is with me... Specifically, er, you?" And cue the shyly blushing female, looking to his paws with a smile.
"I mean. If you can be forward, I can too and... You're handsome, too. I'd feel so much better with you. And... I'd love to fish for others. I love fishing, it's a nice trip into wter and if you swim after, the best. Er..."
Oopsa. |
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:46 pm
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"I... think I'll leave fishing and things like that to you, miss," Fumblepaws said, picking himself back up and trying not to look too awkward and embarrassed. There was no need to go and make things worse than they already were, and - and had she just.
... Nope, goodbye, he was dead.
He was dead or he was going to die and while he wasn't sure which he knew for certain it was one of those two things. "A-ah... right. Right, if you'll... if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the others and... and we can... do... something..." Get her properly accepted? Settled in? He didn't know, and with how his mind was looping in on itself in an embarrassed-flustered whirl of thoughts, Fumblepaws didn't think he was going to hit on a good answer any time time.
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