[LOG] Adjusting is hell [Calder x Kifuani]

[Bronze Coffee]

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Kifuani:
Kifuani had kept her head down since being captured as a thrall for the Stormborn. She was adjusting better than her mother, however. Or, well, as well as one can adjust while still looking for any opportunity to get out. Her pale eyes had been scrutinizing the pride, every inch over. But she knew any escape attempt would be hampered by her mother's fearfulness. She sighed.

The lioness paced along the steepest cliffs of the pride. She was only just now beginning to learn her way around the territory, and it didn't seem like she had very many options. Maybe she could just throw herself off one of the cliffs… She looked down at the crashing waves. It would just take a couple of steps. A stone tumbled down the cliff and hit several jagged protrusions.

Gulp.

Well, maybe it wasn't as easy as it looked.

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Calder:
Oh he didn't like this. Calder didn't like this in the slightest bit. Being a Thrall wasn't something anyone could enjoy. He was growling and snapping at anyone who came near him and it earned him quite a bit of heat. The lion was sporting new scars for snapping at Reavers or even Freeborns, male and female alike. He would bite at them, try to fight his rank only to get put in his place by claws and teeth more than ready to tear into his skin.

See, Calder hesitated. He'd never been in a fight before he was pushed into this low, pathetic position. The blond lion was too proud for this.

To get away from everyone, Calder went towards the cliffs. No one went there. At least, it didn't seem like it. He knew the sound of crashing waves calmed him down, which he needed right now. Calm. Or someone to just tear into verbally. He'd rather not have to get cuffed again. Sighing low in his throat, those dark ears were hidden in his mane, pressed tightly against his head as he neared... and saw a female there. A female who was dangerously close to the edge.

Was she going to jump? His eyes narrowed and he moved closer towards her before clearing his throat. "...What are you doing?"

 

[Bronze Coffee]

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Kifuani:
Kifuani nearly jumped out of her skin, and being dangerously close to the cliff, her front paw slipped off the edge and she scrambled, backpedaling furiously. She managed to bring herself off the bring, and her white eyes, wide with fear and adrenaline, looked at the speaker. "Wha-wh-…!?"

She frantically looked at the cliff, her feet, and the male. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Who are you?" She, uh, wasn't very good at deferring to other pride members based on her rank. She'd never been in one before, and she didn't want to be in one now. What did this male want? She looked him up and down, and saw the many scars. He must be a captain. She tried not to bare her teeth, but her lip twitched in rebellion.

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Calder:
He lunged forward once he realized one of her paws slipped and then stopped once she scrambled back. Well that would have been really bad. That's just what he needed on his reputation, murderer. It was already bad enough he was pushed to Thrall because of his dad, who he couldn't pick. But whatever.

He sat down once it looked like she wasn't going to fall off and then the question happened. "...Calder." He wasn't sure if anyone knew his name, honestly. It would be fairly obvious who he was related to by his markings. His eyes narrowed lightly as he watched her. Captain was a rank he was going for when he was a Freeborn. "Who're you?"

 

[Bronze Coffee]

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Kifuani:
Kifu felt very unsafe with her back to the cliffs and faced by this imposing male. Albeit handsome, imposing male. Her ears pinned back against her head and she nodded slowly. "…Nice to meet you, Calder." She stared at him, debating. "I'm Kifuani." He seemed to be staring at her with as much uncertainty as she had looking at him.

"Are you a captain?" She tilted her head slightly. Was he going to make her go back to the pride? Or do all of his tasks for the day? Kifuani hated being passed around like that. The hair on the back of her neck still stood on end, but she tried to reserve her judgement. Wasn't that what a good thrall was supposed to do?

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Calder:
It wasn't like he was really going to do anything to her. She wasn't doing anything to him, so there was no joy or fun in anything. Kifuani. He'd never seen her before. Dark amber eyes looekd at her from head to toe before shaking his head. "No. I'm a ... Thrall." He spat the word like a poison, like it hurt him to admit, and in some way it did.

"Unfortunately I'm a son of Aesir and thus, forced into this position." Because he didn't believe in running away from the pride like others did. He stayed out of pride, and it was that same pride that got him in trouble. "You. What are you? I've never seen you around." His voice wasn't as harsh as when he asked her what she was doing. He was trying to soften up a little bit. She already almost fell and looked half scared out of her mind. She might jump if he did anything to scare her anymore. "And why were you so close to the ledge?"

 

[Bronze Coffee]

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Kifuani:
Thrall? Her ears whipped forward and her body visibly relaxed. "Oh! I'm a Thrall, too!" She tilted her head and shrugged. "I've never heard of Aesir, but I'm here because of my grandmother. She was hunting down one of my aunts and led us into the pride where my mother and I were captured." She shrugged once more. "We haven't been here for very long. My mother tried to protect me and gained some scars for it. But they broke her spirit, I think."

Her voice grew hushed. "At night, all my dreams are of escaping, but I couldn't leave her here. But she'd ruin any attempt by being too scared, too timid. She claims to speak to a god but I think her mind is leaving her." She shook her head and stared at the ground. "Maybe I came here because I thought this was my only way out of being a Thrall."

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Calder:
"...He used to be warlord." That's all he was willing to say about it, honestly. His tail flicked and he listened to her talk about her dreams of escaping and he.. normally would of scoffed at the idea, but honestly? He could understand it. His tail flicked this way and that and his ears flicked as he relaxed just a bit.

Dreams. He dreamed of being warlord like his dad, but it wasn't going to happen. He didn't have the commanding air abut him and was a bad fighter. "....Death isn't the way to go. You would look cowardly. What would your children think?" Of course, he was assuming she had them.

 

[Bronze Coffee]

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Kifuani:
Kifuani tilted her head, expecting him to go on, but figured he had his reasons. Her white eyes searched his face and found their way back to looking at her little brown toes. She nodded. "Cowardice is why I didn't do it. I can't leave my mother alone here." She shook her head. "But children? No, I don't have any. Never have had any."

She'd always thought herself too young. Maybe that was the effect staying with your mother had on you. And then after Coeur had found them, there hadn't been any interaction with males. Now, in the Stormborn was the first time she'd even really seen any. Or talked to them, even if they only were trying to give her orders. Calder was the first positive interaction with a pride member she'd had.

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Calder:
Mother was another good reason she didn't do it. Also the prospect of just having cubs would have been enough for most of them motherly types. He thought a moment, tilting his head to the side and let his mane fall into his face. He tossed his head, removing it and then took a deep breath, looking her over before humming. She was pretty. No doubt she'd be snatched up as someone's personal thrall, almost like a wife of sorts.

"....Well... At least you'll still be around in case you do have children. And be around for your mother." He didn't have a sour relationship with his mother, or a bad one. Cadis just ..knew her as mom and was closer to Aeser than his mother. "...Family is important." Now he was awkward because he didn't honestly know what to say. With a sigh, he got to his paws and nodded. "I guess I'll leave you to your thoughts. ...I'll see you around, right?"

 

[Bronze Coffee]

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Kifuani:
Maybe Kifu picked up on what he was thinking, or jumped to some of the same conclusions. She didn't want to have some strange reaver's cubs. Her stomach sank into a pit and she glanced to the ocean again. Or she couldn't be forced into having some male's cubs if she was already pregnant, right?

Maybe she was jumping to conclusions or just being hasty, but… "C-Calder!! Wait!" She rose to follow him. "L-let me walk back to the pride with you…"

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Calder:
He paused mid step before looking over his shoulder at her. He seemed to consider it but he nodded. Maybe he could get somewhere with Kifuani... ...Maybe, just maybe, being a Thrall wouldn't have to be lonely even if it was temporary. He could feel it in his bones that it was only a temporary rank for him. Might as well have a bit of fun.

"Come on then." When she caught up to him, Calder wandered towards the pride at a slow pace, grinning over at her slowly.