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 Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:22 am
He remembered his grandfather telling stories about how his visions had plagued him to the point of insomnia. That sometimes reality had seemed warped, even in his memories of the time when it was the worst. But that was when he had been young, much younger than Suni was now.. and with much less control than either of them had had by this point.
Suni still had enough control that he could keep reality separate from the visions, or so he liked to tell himself, but he was getting desperate. So he was off looking for another lioness in the pride known for her visions, though the uneasiness he felt almost sent him to her opposite. He didn't know what he he really wanted but he needed to do something more than he was already.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 11:04 am
The black and white lioness had, for the most part, kept to herself and her family. There were very few who wanted to even look at her that did not already belong to the cult. She had been scavenging by a watering hole's edge, taking bits of cast off leather and bones for her own devices.
She would have to send one of her children back here later to gather up some extra bits that she wouldn't be able to bring back herself. There was always a use for those who were cast off, and Vitha would ensure they would be given a second chance at living.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 11:17 am
Suni was in such a daze that he nearly didn't notice who he had stumbled across, but he stumbled to a stop suddenly when he spotted Vitha nearby, gathering debris around the waterhole. He believed in gods but he didn't believe his power was divine, not in a way that suggested such a coincidence was guided by any gods.. but still, he made him pause. And he certainly stared for a little too long.
She was technically part of his family, though he doubted very much that the majority of them had paid much attention to Mkate, his mate and their children in the chaos that surrounded them all.
Wouldn't it be better to seek help within the family first? He wondered..
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 11:38 am
Vitha continued working for a moment before she glanced upwards. She could consider it a dulled sensation now; eyes were always upon her in one way or another, few of them kind. She didn't care what others thought. Her father's death had hit her hard, and it had nulled some of her smaller fears in how the pride as a whole viewed her as a whole. They could spread gossip and sling words at her, but the pain would not be like loving Mwovu.
"Lo there," she replied. No name offered, no name taken. There were too many here that she was related to, by her mother or her mate, but Vitha had stopped trying to learn their names. If they would come underneath her wing, then she would learn of them, of what they wanted in life.
"May I assist you?" she ask carefully, her movement stilling as she matched his view.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 11:45 am
"Do you still think danger is coming?"
The words came out before Suni even had time to think about if he truly wanted to say them. The world had seemed to calm down but the feeling that they were on the verge of something big had only grown, he wasn't sure if it was his inability to cope with loss, paranoia, his lack of sleep.. or something else entirely.
"Or is here already?" he clarified,.
His tone was sincere but his eyes were a mix of doubt and hope.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:06 pm
Vitha watched the brown lion shift, his orange gaze seemingly pouring all of his hopes into her reply...and yet there was something holding him back. More than likely the desire to life, to survive, to wish that everything was over and gone. It was hard to face down the truth of a broken reality, even if it seemed as if everything has returned to normal.
"Both," she replied quietly, returning a moment to her task. She pushed her gathering goods into a spot, marked it with a circle around for locating it later, and turned to the male. "The danger is here, and yet there will be more danger later. Somehow, precious time was bought for us. But we have to be prepared for more. It is impossible to believe that that night was the end of it all."
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 1:00 pm
"I hoped you wouldn't say that," Suni said with a sigh, still standing before her and looking rather tense.. but like nothing was resolved by hearing this answer. There were gods involved in this, of course they wouldn't just wander away. If you could live forever, how long would a few months feel to you?
"Something is wrong," he said, apparently intent to spill his guts now that he was before Vitha, "I can't control my visions anymore. It happened to him, too, and now he's gone. I wonder if my time is almost up, too."
For once, he almost felt like he ought to join them. Join the cult and try desperately to face the problem head on, but as sure as he felt that something bad was coming, he felt almost as sure there was nothing they could really do. He hadn't even fully realized that he had connected all these dots to his own demise. Could this really just be something that happened when a seer's life was almost spent? He had never heard anything like that before and he had known plenty of seers. Still, he couldn't shake that thought.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 1:26 pm
Vitha's eyes widened for a moment before she softened her features. Her smile was a bit melancholy, considering his feelings and the sudden outburst that happened by accident.
"A fate is best challenged, not resigned to." She let her words rest in the air for a moment before continuing. "Although he may have passed, it does not necessarily mean that the visions were why. To cave in to the fear and give up... that feels like a far worse fate. It is the same reason I move forward, even with my own personal losses. We cannot stop simply because the mountain is blocking our way. We must learn to get around it."
She considered her own disjointed advice for a second, but it was already said. "I am no seer, though it should be understood that they are not infallible."
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 1:48 pm
Suni was quiet for a good minute considering what Vitha said. She made good points but it did little to easy the dread in the back of his mind or calm the fears he hadn't fully realized he had until he spoke. A wise seer knew their visions were not certain, but how did one avoid something like this?
"I hope you're right," he said, "And I hope whatever you've been doing is enough to save us."
Another long pause and a slight frown.
"I know we haven't been that welcoming, Vitha," he said, "I hope you, Mkate and your children are well."
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 2:27 pm
"Mmm. Yes. It is why I never stop, but your words are a welcome. They will be a boon in the coming months, when we see if things change or stay the same. I hope that you and yours stay well... and try to not let your fears overwhelm you and drown your soul. Be safe."
She nodded to the male, grateful for at least the kind word. Things had been awkward since the night the stars had fallen, but there were more ears and minds listening to her cause. Not too many openly joined her, but she knew that she was not up against the same solid stone wall she had been fighting against at the start. The cracks were showing, and she could see bits of light from them.
Still, it was a long road to go. She would continue on, forever.
-fin-
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