[PRP] Poking Around (Gabriel x Bazi)

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Gabriel was getting used to the whole exile thing now that the old warlord was gone, but she was loyal to her Captain, the old warlord's son. She would not let him in exile alone, and there were others that had gone with him as well. She was proud to be among them, and of course, she had dragged her brother along. Not that Azrael would have just let her go by herself anyway. The lioness smiled to herself as she thought about how they were trying to help the others. They two, whom were not so long with the pride, were used to the hunting and hard work that came with being in the roguelands and outside the protection of a pride.

Gabriel was just glad that she and her brother had chosen a pride that did not cause them to go soft! They certainly needed their survival skills more than ever now. Gabriel was even now, scouting out possible prey so that they could organize a hunting party to come out later. It was not just the Thralls that did the hunting, and they were better off for it. While the lioness could have just hunted and brought something home, they would catch more with a group, and so long as she had a location for them to start at, a hunting party could follow and hunt whatever she found.

Gabriel had seen some sign of zebra and gazelle, but only small herds. It would have to do, of course, but she wanted to do a bit more looking around before she returned to the others. She was not expecting to see another lion not far away, but decided to try to sneak up on him and see just what kind of lion this was. The lioness crouched down and crept forward in the grass, hoping the other would not see her. She got fairly close to him and stopped. She would know if he saw her soon, enough. He might have just let her get close because he wanted to. She waited.  

[Hopefolly]

Kathryn Dragonna

Renown for his neglect of necessary routine within in his family, Bazi would have surprised no one that day when, instead of pursuing the game he'd been tracking for hours, he was distracted by an image drawn into the dirt. The likeness was that of a zebra; a small one, probably etched by the paws of a bored rogue cub.

Bazi raked his claw purposefully through the ground, creating a detailed set of parents for the calf. Just because she was used to it didn't mean his own mother wouldn't have been ashamed of his dilatory conduct. Gods help him, he still sometimes felt anxious, as if she lie in ambush and would spring out at him from the tall grass any minute.

His mother was was too good at her duty as a parent, and she had never been concerned with her sons liking her as long as they were prepared for the world that awaited them. Looking back, he had to thank her for her efforts: without them, where would he be today? Many of his former pridemates, never taught to fend for themselves, had surely perished after the flood. There was no home to return to.

If a lion like him did not ask cogent questions, they would never ask any at all.

"Can I help you?" Bazi queried. He had not bothered to look her way just yet.

Fortunately, he doubted it was his mother lurking around as one's paranoid imagination might lead them to believe.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Gabriel was both glad and miffed that the male was aware of her presence. Glad that he was not an idiot, and miffed that she had been heard. She knew she was not bad at sneaking, but eh, he was a lion. Lions tended to know when another was approaching a little faster than other creatures might. Well, she had stopped so he could take notice to her or not. Now she had been acknowledged, so she might as well make use of it. It was not every day one got to have a conversation without others of the pride around to influence one's behavior.

Gabriel could be as nice or mean as she wished without anybody calling her weak or cruel and taking that judgement back to the other members of the pride. The exiles were more honorable than some, but she still hated to be seen as weak because she did not challenge ever lion she came across in their turf. If they wanted to join they came LOOKING for the challenge... and she really did not believe in just making thralls for the heck of it. She only took that hyena because the thing had attacked her first. Besides, the make looked like he was more of a thinker than a fighter.

"Not likely, but thank you for the offer. I am just scouting prey for my pride. I do hope I did not disturb you." Gabriel really did hope she had not disturbed him when she saw what he was working on. She liked art, though it was not something she could do by any means. Her mother had spent Azrael and Gabriel's cubhood teaching them to fight, making them practice, and showing them how to survive in the rogue lands alone or together. She had not raised artists or crafters. "You have a fine paw at drawing."

Hopefolly

 

[Hopefolly]

Kathryn Dragonna

First impressions tended to be hit-or-miss with Bazi as the subject. He would have laughed if he'd known she thought he resembled "a thinker" in any way, shape, or form. But he'd have been glad he looked the part of one, whether or not it was true. He was not winning any ferocity contests any time soon, so better potential threats think he was at the very least intelligent.

He was truly clever, though.

Bazi had turned to her the second she started speaking. He wasn't going to admit he had sensed something behind him and issued his question without being absolutely sure whether or not someone was really there. At worst, he'd be alone, and there was no shame in being wrong if no one was around to see it.

He'd gotten lucky this time and someone had been lurking. Made him look like he had sharp instincts. Awesome.

"You think so?" Bazi eyed the dirt art critically. "I guess I do... You're not bothering me any, but the herd that was here moved on earlier."

Lazily, he swayed to the side, starting with his head. "They went that way. I planned on following 'em myself, but..."

But he'd gotten distracted drawing zebras.

Yeah, real genius, this guy.  

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Hopefolly

Gabriel chuckled at the male's response. He had gotten distracted drawing rather than following food. It really sounded like he needed someone to remind him where his head should be at times. His stomach obviously was not doing a good job of keeping him informed of it, that was for sure! She eyed the drawing a bit more and nodded. "I do think your drawing is very good. I have no talent for such things. I am all muscle and tactics." This was not a bad thing to her mind.

Gabriel fought and hunted. Those where the two things she needed to be able to do to survive, and she did them well. She could be clever if she took the time, but really, she was good at thinking on the fly and getting what she put her mind to. She was pure determination at times, and she made sure her brother worked hard to. He was too easily distracted by a pretty tail, or picking on Gabe, for her taste, not that she did not pick back or such. There were just more important things to focus on.

"I noticed that the signs were a few hours old, but the herds rarely move far before they circle back around here, so having a trail to send the hunting parties to for a start, is all I really need to find. If I can tell them where to start, then they can save time." Gabriel wondered if her voice always sounded so serious and hard. Why was she noticing it, even? She just hoped the tone did not scare off the male. She rarely got to enjoy good company that was not her brother.  

[Hopefolly]

Kathryn Dragonna

Bazi smiled at her. Something in the curve of his mouth and the glint of his eyes suggested Gabriel had encountered a mischievous lion. As for who he'd been given to deal with: muscle and tactics, huh? He knew that type, and she didn't look it. Then again, his brother had always said not to judge the jungle for the trees. Whatever that meant.

If it was any consolation, her staid disposition didn't do much to deter his interest. That was just the way of the muscle and tactics type, no?

"I'll take you word for it, Ma'am," Bazi said politely, just as mama had always taught him. "Just leave a sick one for me, huh?" he joked, and tacked on a wink for the Hell of it.

Mama also taught him to hunt, but he could have stood to pay more attention. All that herds do this and herds do that stuff was beyond him. He just found them, hunted them, and left it at that. The life of a loner did have some benefits, such as only one mouth to feed.
 

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Gabriel smiled at the male's words chuckling to herself. "If you like hare, I saw plenty of sign in the area... I could catch one for you, so you have something to eat for now... or you could just hunt down the zebras when I leave." She wondered if this male could even win a challenge to get into the pride. She thought perhaps if he could manage it he might be better off at the outpost, even if it was not an easy life being exiled, it was certainly better than being out on one's own.

Of course if someone from the main pride, and maybe the exiles, caught this male hanging out too close, he would get a challenge or captured. "Can you fight at all? My pride puts a lot of stock in fighting... to get in you have to prove you can fight adequately for survival. Perhaps you would like to join them so that you have some help hunting, and some company." She remembered how lonely being a rogue could be and she had even had her brother there the whole time.

Gabe would not have wanted to be without some company, even though she could deal with it. She liked having others around when she wanted them. She actually was thinking about how good looking this male was and what a nice thing it would be to have him a little closer at paw, so to speak, but she wouldn't tell him that. "We are always looking for new blood in the pride... I could give you your challenge if you want or you can fight someone else if you like..." She might even be tempted to go easy on him, just because.

Hopefolly

 

[Hopefolly]

Could he fight? Bazi would like to meet the male that said they couldn't. It was a matter of pride. Even the biggest sissy he knew would at least fall silent rather than confess his own uselessness. Bazi, lucky for him, genuinely could hold his own just fine. He thanked the male influences of his pride for that who had encouraged him to maintain some kind of capacity for self-defense.

Females fighting seemed strange to him. His mother would have never allowed his sisters to behave brutishly -- and that's what she'd have considered it, no doubt. Not to say he was opposed to them progressing in ways that, to him, were unorthodox... but could he bring himself to strike one with his own paw? They all felt, to some degree, as his sisters or mother did. He respected them.

They'd have had words for him for being so impulsive about this.

The way he saw it, food was not such a problem he absolutely needed help. But company...

"And where is your pride?" he asked curiously. Bazi trotted around her in a circle, all in all in a merry mood. She was sure amusing. "I'll join. Why not? I like the eager types. My name is Bazi, by the way."

Kathryn Dragonna

 

[Kathryn Dragonna]

Gabriel chuckled at the male as she answered his question. "My pride is a in the center of these lands, but we have an outpost that a group of us are staying at for now. Our warlord was overthrown and his son is forming an effort to restore the rights of some of us. This new warlord wishes to take away a female's right to fight if she chooses." The lioness was not pleased with the idea in the least. It had not been the whole reason she had followed the her Captain, but it had been a good reason for her not to forget that he WAS her captain.

"If you can fight, we'll have you, even if you are not a warrior, so long as you can hunt and defend yourself if need be, we'll have you. I am Gabriel, a Reaver for the Storm Born. I'll show you the way, our Captain will want to meet you to make things official." So long as the male looked capable enough, she doubted he would be forced to prove his skill in combat. Besides, Gabe vouching for him would go a long way with how the Captain had seen her beat that hyena for attaching her.

Hopefolly

Sorry this took so long, I managed to lose the link. Also I think we can call it done whenever you are ready --- just realized recently that I messed up the quote

 

[Hopefolly]

Kathryn Dragonna

Wrap-up post!

Bazi wasn't typically one to absorb himself in his thoughts, but this situation certainly warranted some musing. He nodded as if he understood it all, when in truth, he grasped maybe half of it. Warlord? What in the world was that?

Reaver? Stormborn?

"Alright," Bazi agreed. "I'll meet him."

As he tagged along, he wondered if this was going to come back to bite him in the a**.