[PRP] Tell Me More (Kuzimu x Mwale'kono)

[SilverLutz]

It was a relatively cool day in the Firekin lands. There were clouds blocking out the sun every now and then, huge, fluffy things that didn't promise rain but at least offered some shade. Kuzimu was taking advantage for the respite from the near constant heat by making her rounds of the pride.

As a warden there were many that looked at her with a unwelcoming gaze but it honestly didn't bother her. Her parents were both looked at a bit strangely so she was used to it. Her mother was incredibly eccentric and her father came from the pride that her home so desperately hated and that she was so desperately curious about. Sure, the Nergui were thought of as demons and were ruthless, but weren't they? What was the difference between the two prides aside from the coloration of the Firekin and the inclusion of hyenas in the Nergui? And, of course, the attempted genocide of an entire pride.

Not much, she'd bet.

Heading to one of the few watering holes near the outskirts of the pride, Kuzimu kept her eyes and ears open for any juicy details that others might be whispering about.

Zosie

 

[Zosie]

Mwale'kono huffed gently in the heat. The leg that had been long suffering seemed creaky, and so he did his best to keep it strong. He wasn't a soldier, only a guard, but he knew the importance of strength, especially when there were whispers of the Nergui constantly clutching at the fur of the pride. Shaking his dark mane gently he finished his patrol and headed to catch a drink at a nearby watering hole. As he resided in a large pride, there were lions and lionesses here and there. He gave a gruff nod to one or two on his way, and carried on. Mwale wasn't one for much social interaction. Some would see it as a flaw, others a blessing. The Firekin were comprised mainly of tough, fiery individuals. Though there were those that were more gently and affectionate, he found the majority were rather similar to him, especially those in fighting positions.

His injured eye remained constantly closed, the male had never quite regained the use of the muscles in his eyelids. Fighting the greenwood monster had surely damaged a nerve, or something.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Kuzimu reached the watering hole and took a drink, her eyes never leaving her surroundings.She would have made a great guard or water seeker with her constant vigilance, but something had steered her in the direction of warden. It suited her well, using her sharp eye and ear to spy on her fellow pridemates instead.

She lifted her head as a male headed to the watering hole as well. He looked battle-scarred and sure of himself, certainly the norm for Firekin, but there was something about him that drew her eye. Once he got closer she recognized what it was - he wasn't a native Firekin. The structure of his body spoke more of a rogue. Trying to keep the excitement from her eyes, Kuzimu moved around the edge of the water to draw closer to the male.

"Nice day, hm?" she asked, her voice smooth and silky as if she were sweet-talking a wildebeest into laying down and letting her slit its throat without a struggle. "Nice to have some cloud coverage for once."

Zosie

 

[Zosie]

SilverLutz

Mwale, as many knew, wasn't entirely suited to idle conversation, though there was something about this female that caught his eye. She was white, whiter than a hot sun, and it was a refreshing change from all the shades of red that had caught his eye as he had wandered to the watering hole. His one working eye focused on the female as he grunted in agreement. "Mmm." Bowing his head to lap up some water roughly, he decided to reciprocate- he had been accused of rudeness lately, and though he wasn't particularly bothered, it wasn't entirely his intention. "Yes, the desert is hot." He said lamely and obviously. The fact that he wasn't a weathered conversationalist seemed to pore from every sound and movement the male made. He stopped to lift his head and admire her markings for a moment. It was as if someone had drawn a bone on her pelt... Strange, and yet wonderful.  

[SilverLutz]

The lack of talking didn't bother Kuzimu much. She felt that most of her Firekin brethren spoke too much, really. There were many that were pompous and arrogant and that was an incredible annoyance, not to mention a turn-off. The fact that the male wasn't very talkative but still sure of himself and didn't seem to mind that he was quiet.

"It is," she agreed with a little snort, looking out in the direction that he had come from. That was the edge of the pride, so he was probably a guard. Flicking her bright blue eyes back to him, she settled down a few paces from the male so she wouldn't encroach on his space.

"Were you just on patrol?" she asked. "I know how thirsty pacing the sands can make a lion. Please, don't let me stop you from being refreshed." She nodded to the water, encouraging him to have more water. "I couldn't help but notice you're of a slightly different stature than most Firekin. Were you born elsewhere?"

Zosie

 

[Zosie]

SilverLutz

"Mmm." The male let out another deep rumble and nodded to the lioness, taking his fill of water before looking up at her again. She was polite, and didn't seem to possess the air of... viciousness, he supposed. Not that she seemed gentle, just somewhat... more tactful than others.

"That is true..." He took another drink after her encouragement. "I was born a long way from here." He said simply. He didn't think much of his life before he joined the Firekin. In reality he had spent most of it alone. He hadn't minded, though it did mean he had spent time chasing strong creatures on almost impossible quests.  

[SilverLutz]

When he confirmed that he wasn't born in the pride Kuzimu's interest spiked considerably. Her parents were both out of pride lions as well and she felt like the rogue lands were in her blood. Trying to keep her calm, she sidled up just a bit closer to the male, taking a moment to admire his markings. For a lion that wasn't born here it was like he had been born to be here. There were fiery markings on his paws and his pelt was a bright red. It was a wonderful contrast to her own mostly white complexion. His scars spoke of his strength and bravery which she valued quite a bit and she wondered if she could get more out of him than just information about what lay beyond the desert.

"What brought you here?" she asked, keeping her blue eyes on his scarred face. "Or was it completely by chance? I've always wanted to explore the rogue lands, but my forte isn't in survival on my own, unfortunately."

Licking her lips, she let her whiskers twitch a bit before her face muscles relaxed a bit. "Surely there's more than sand everywhere."

Zosie

 

[Zosie]

"Well, I was recruited." He said gruffly, turning his good eye to get a better look at Kuzimu. "Spaki recruited me after some of your pride members went to the forest, looking for the greenwood monster. From what I gather, most members duel to get in?" He looked at her with a cocked brow. He wasn't trying to show off, he was curious. Mwale hadn't spoken to anyone about the joining system before. "Strength is important, right?" He found it strange that he was talking so much, and so he fizzled gently into silence aside from his closing sentence.

"There is far more than just sand."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

"Recruited?"

Kuzimu's ears perked up in genuine surprise at that. She knew it was possible but she'd never actually known of a case of recruitment. That was very impressive. She was certainly interested in knowing as much as she could about this male for her own personal reasons rather than the benefit of the pride.

"Strength is very important, yes. Usually there's a duel between a member and the joining rogue and only if the rogue wins are they allowed in. But if you were asked to come that's even more impressive than winning a duel." It meant that they wanted him here. It wasn't often that the Firekin wanted someone in the pride. They grudgingly let others in, but the pride of those that lived here was deep and asking for help was often looked down upon.

"Ah, that's a relief," she added, chuckling softly. She kept her gaze upon the male before finally asking for a very important piece of information. "What's your name? I've not seen you around before. The Firekin is a large pride, of course, so I'm sure there are some I'll never meet. But you...you're very interesting. I'd be very glad to know you better."

Zosie

Do you want to wrap this up in your next post? owo