Night Watch - S-prompts

S7. Choose a song, and write or draw an in-depth breakdown of how it applies to your lion and their life, story, relationship,ect . You can break it up by lines, sections, ect

[ 1047 words without lyrics ] - 4 points

"A boy named Sue" - Johnny Cash

My daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to ma and me
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze
Now, I don't blame him cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me "Sue."

One day, without much of an explanation, Greu abandoned his wife and children. Among them his only son and the youngest cub, Sura. The little lion was too small to understand why they were deserted. For some months he did not have to think of it much, as his life was rather sweet, being taken care of by his sisters and mother. His father left him nothing, not even many memories. After years passed, he could remember nothing, but the lion’s face - dark, scarred, with bushy black mane.

Well, he must o' thought that is quite a joke
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk
It seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named "Sue."

His family always thought it cute that his name “Su” was like a girls. They said it fit him, for Sura, surrounded by loving sisters and mom, was delicate with love for beauty and kindness in his heart. Everything changed when they joined up with another pride when Sura was a couple months old. Lionesses laughed at him for his femininity and lions abused him saying his name fit him indeed because he fought like a girl. They did not accept him and he felt odd and like he didn’t fit in. Sura spent many sleepless nights crying, failing to understand why he’s hated. He came to the conclusion that it was all the fault of his father. For naming him Su, for leaving him to grow up with no male role model.

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean
My fist got hard and my wits got keen
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame
But I made a vow to the moon and stars
That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
And kill that man who gave me that awful name

Being the youngest of the lot, Sura was spoiler and provided for by his older sisters. After the bullying, Sura’s oldest sister Merula decided to take matters into her paws and teach Sura how to hunt and fight. Despite being slim, young and not having the most impressive mane, Su was smart and quick. Fuelled by anger at his father and those who taunted him he was a diligent student and learned fast. He wasn’t the strongest lion in the pride, but his fierceness allowed him to beat even those twice his weight. Soon, there wasn’t anyone who could stand up to him. Yet, Su never learned how to use his power. He would lash out at the mere mention of his name. Deemed too aggressive, the rest of the clan wanted him gone. He left, for that was his goal all along. To find his progenitor and get revenge. It was hard to leave his family behind, but he vowed to come back, whenever he could.

Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
And I just hit town and my throat was dry
I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew
At an old saloon on a street of mud
There at a table, dealing stud
Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me "Sue."

Finding Greu turned out harder than he expected. Having nothing but a memory of the lion’s face and no clue where he went after abandoning them, it took Su a couple of years to finally meet him. Su was determined and never gave up, those his leads led him nowhere. In the end, he met his father by pure accident. When he stopped on his travels to rest and quench his thirst by drinking from the river, there he was. His old man, the man he was looking for.

Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had
And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye
He was big and bent and gray and old
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold
And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do!
Now you're going to die!!"

Despite the drizzle from the sky, he recognised Greu immediately. Until he saw him, the image of his face in his memory was foggy. Black mane, scars, dark eyes, he only remembered the general image of his father. Once he saw him, memories returned with clarity. The man that stood before him aged, his black hair now had streaks of grey and more scars, but the glint in his eye was the same and so was the scar running all across his cheek. Blood boiled inside him, rage like he’s never felt before, not even when he first had to cry his eyes out for being bullied. Without letting the old man say anything, Su attacked.

Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
And he went down, but to my surprise
He come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear
But I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the wall and into the street
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer

Su attacked with all his might and he expected the lion to go down easily, like most of the ones he fought before, but it turned out that Greu was experienced. Despite his age he could still move very swiftly and managed to bite a piece of Su’s ear. It enraged the grey lion even more. He launched at his father and together they rolled over the mud. Their grey coats covered in brown sludge with rain and mud dripping off their manes. Su felt something slide down his face and he did not know whether it was mud or blood and, if blood, who it belonged to.

I tell you, I've fought tougher men
But I really can't remember when
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile
I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss
He went for his gun and I pulled mine first
He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile

They fought fiercely, both getting some good hits and leaving scars in each others bodies. Greu didn’t seem to lose energy, it even seemed like he enjoyed the spar. Breathing deeply Su stepped back, his claws digging in the mud, eyes full of hate with a short mane plastered over his face, he gave out a roar. Full of hate, pain and desperation. Greu responded with his own. Loud, mighty, proud. It threw Su off. Enough to stop for a moment in his blind rage and listen.

And he said: "Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong

The lion’s voice was deep and seemed to silence everything around. The rain and Su’s own heavy breathing. They were not the words he expected. Many times before he imagined their encounter and how it might play out. He always thought that his pops would either be sorry and plead for mercy or would turn out to be a bully like all the lions he met before and without remorse tell Su he named him that out of hate. He never expected Greu cared for him.

He said: "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do
But ya ought to thank me, before I die
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Because I'm the son-of-a-gun that named you Sue

Su’s mind began racing. The things Greu was saying, there was some truth to them. Growing up as the youngest sibling surrounded by loving sisters he was always spoiled and never let to do anything dangerous. It’s only after he was picked on by others that he learned to fight and protect himself. If he hadn’t who knows what kind of life he would be leading now. Greu stood firmly in place. He was ready to die, but he wasn’t sad. He smiled with the same glint in his eye that Su remembered so well. Was it pride?

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I called him my pa, and he called me his son
And I came away with a different point of view

His paws shaking as much as his voice, his stumbled in the mud and hugged his father. Greu put a large paw around him and embraced him. Su was overwhelmed with emotion, but he held in his tears. He was strong. All thanks to his father.

And I think about him, now and then
Every time I try and every time I win
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!

Sura made terms with his father, but in the end it’s better not to abandon your family, no matter the reason, and just give your son a normal name.