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 Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:19 pm
 Raruo yawned and stalked his way out of his den, stretching and padding heavily across the turf. He let out a gigantic yawn, flicking his legs behind him. For once he wasn't too bored, or too irritated, at the start of his day. He knew what he wanted to get accomplished, and having even a small plan worked wonders in improving his mood.
He moved out into an open plain, his big paws moving his heavy, muscular body with surprising speed. He was quick to spot just what he was looking for, catching a rabbit and, careful not to kill it just yet, in case it needed to be alive, carried it in his powerful jaws.
He had never visited a member of the Heart directly before, or at least not in recent history. And never for a reading. He spoke to them as he would any other member of the pride, and protected them as his duty dictated. He never told anyone how much he wanted to learn about that side of their world, and tried his best not to make it obvious in his behavior. To make that work he spent a lot of his time being aloof around members of the Heart, which, really, was extremely counter productive.
Today, however, he was going to visit the Haruspex. Maybe he would finally learn something.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:19 am
So what, then, does a Haruspex do to fill his or her time? Without the need to hunt (since the Hunters and Huntleaders provide for them) or the need to care for any cubs they might have (since the Minders handle that task), or even the need to defend themselves or the pride... well, it's safe to say that most members of the Heart enjoy a life of carefree indulgence. Some resort to laziness or indolence, whiling away the hours under the hot sun, sprawled in the dusty grass. Others engage in an unending quest to strengthen their connection with the spirit world, constantly seeking signs and portents. Some engage in social banter and vying for the Queen's eye. Many female members of the Heart have been trying to capture the eye of the Vates recently, since he is certainly the most eligible bachelor in the pride at the moment.
But Kivuli does none of these things. Some days she spends with the Sacrifices, learning the names and quirks of those she may some day send to meet the spirits. Some days she spends with the cubs, teaching them of what it is to be a Haruspex, and searching through them for a likely apprentice (she's developed more of an interest in the young ones, recently). And some days she spends tagging along behind Chuma, watching as he orders his Warriors around.
Today, however, she is watching. Settled on a small rise just at the edges of the main sprawl of the pride, Kivuli sits primly and watches over them. Something has come to her in a vision, a dark hint of danger, but she cannot tell yet if this is a thing that has already passed, or a thing that is yet to be. So she watches the pride, staring at the shadows they cast as the sun beats down upon them, hoping to catch another glimpse of that dire portent.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:14 pm
Raruo padded his way through the lands, looking around idly for the lioness he had set in his head as the goal for the day. He carried the rabbit without paying much attention to it, its feeble attempts to escape and the strange sounds of pain and terror escaping it lost to the large, purple lion. He spotted her, as he had almost predicted, as far from where he had started his search for her as the prides would allow. Or at least that's how it felt to Raruo, who liked to take a bitter look at almost every situation he found himself in.
He drew closer, wondering what she was looking so intense about. He walked up slowly, dropping the rabbit and putting his foot on top of it before it could scurry away from him. He tilted his head, his scruffy, vaguely graying mane pillowing thickly on one side.
"Morning," he said, not bothering to indicate whether he thought it was a good one or not. He looked out over the pride, feeling a strange calmness as he did so. Unlike those of the heart, he was generally oblivious to the temperament of the spirits. Sure, he knew as much as every other member of the pride, and he sometimes felt he could understand their will with some depth or keen perception, but he mostly knew he was projecting his desire rather than actually experiencing anything profound.
Not one to beat around the bush, his manners a bit wanting, he cleared his throat, "are you busy? I was wondering if you might show me... ah, read this... do a reading. With this rabbit."
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:27 am
She notices as the Veteran makes his way towards her, but does not let her gaze linger on him any longer than she does any other member of the pride. The danger she saw in her visions last night does not concern him directly. Darkness surrounds him as much as it does everyone else these days, changing with the ebb and flow of the spirits. But no, that particular vision was not about him.
It is only when he draws near enough that it would be impolite to continue to ignore him that she turns her head to face the larger lion. "Yes, it is," she replies to his non-committal greeting with an equally non-committal answer. It is not long before his name comes to mind. There are only a few Veterans, after all, so it is not hard to remember them. He looks younger than she would have expected, considering that he's been a Veteran for as long as she can remember. Interesting.
"Raruo, yes? I am Kivuli." There are more Haruspex in the pride, after all, so she does not assume that everyone knows her by name. Even if she is one of the few spiritborn Haruspex to be found, it's not unusual for Kivuli to be mistaken for her sister.
Stretching languidly, she rises and motions over one shoulder. "I have a place where I make offerings, over here." And with that she is off, clearly expecting that he will take the rabbit and follow. "What answers do you seek?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 11:08 pm
Raruo nodded. At least they had cleared up what time of day it was. Good thing, too, he thought ruefully, it might have bothered him for the whole conversation if they hadn't. He was oddly amused by the short exchange, though it might have been he was just finding humor in his own sarcastic musings, and the corner of his muzzle pulled upwards in an ever so slight smirk.
"Yeah, sorry," he said, shaking his head as if waking up from a day dream. He knew he was rude, but it was pretty bad to not introduce himself when entering a conversation. He hadn't even thought about it. Maybe he would have to force himself to be social more often, just so he didn't keep forgetting the basic rules of casual conversation. Or not. The idea didn't strike him as fun.
"Kivuli, right," he said, taking note. He knew there were two of them, with the strange wing markings on their flanks, though one had more color to her fur. He probably should be better with names, considering how many faces he remembered, but he often didn't need to know what to call the creatures he was fighting for. He knew them by the spirits the bound them, and the lands they lived in. Wasn't that enough?
He picked up the rabbit with surprising care, carrying it as he followed her. She asked a question and he moved his jaw to reply, his words blocked effectively by the fluffy little animal in his mouth and coming out as garbled, incoherent sounds. He would have frowned, if the action wouldn't have crushed the thing he was trying to keep alive. He dropped it again when he was able, once again putting his paw on top of it. This time it didn't even try to escape, apparently resigned to the inevitable.
"Well, truthfully I uh..." he sighed, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to articulate what he wanted, "I wanted to just... see how you do it. I mean. I'm a warrior. I'm not as close to the spirits as you are, and I've always... look, I just want to see how this works. If you want to look for something in specific, how about... trying to see what's in my future?" He grunted, not knowing if that was exactly what they did. Which, of course, was why he was there.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:45 am
A little smile quirks upon her muzzle at his muffled attempt to speak, but she says nothing. Instead she pads along, giving him the chance to think about an answer - sometimes they need that time, she's discovered, to come up with the true reason for their visit. It's not easy for some members of the Claw to admit what they truly want to know. Sometimes it's only after several 'casual' readings that they get to the true meat of the matter.
Raruo's answer, however, brings a frown to her muzzle. Is he serious? Or is this just an example of another member of the Claw beating around the bush before he can actually give voice to his secret desires? That frown remains for several heartbeats while she stares levelly at him, her already forbidding visage made all the more fearsome for it.
"You just want to see how I do it? Is it not enough to be able to watch the public Sacrifices, Veteran?" Her voice cracks like a whip, annoyance at having her time wasted --wasted!-- plain. Ignoring the rabbit, ignoring the blood-stained stone she uses to perform her offerings, the Haruspex stalks around the much larger member of the Claw, looming in her anger. "Do I go to you, Veteran, asking that you please fight this other lion over there just so I can see how you do it? No. I would not be so rude as to blatantly waste your time with such trivialities. I would say to you, 'Raruo, there is this battle that needs to be fought, the spirits will it.' Never would I go to you and expect you to perform just to satisfy my curiousity."
Seething, she halts before him, her gaze steady. "If you do not seek answers from the spirits, then leave." A low growl rides beneath her words, eyes narrowed to mere slits.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:34 pm
Raruo shook his big, hard head, "you've got it wrong if you think I'm some cub looking for some play time. I'm an old lion, with a specific purpose. If it were enough to watch the sacrifices, don't you think I'd... be satisfied? The very fact that I'm here, pissing you off and me vicariously should mean a bit more than 'oh, he's just wasting my time'. It's not like I particularly like going out of my way to seek out company," he snorted.
His red eyes were soft, his face generally impassive, though he spoke with some fervor and passion. His voice rumbled in his throat, each word caught on a growl. He watched as she moved around him, his body language almost casual. He tilted his head at her, arching an eyebrow, "If you came and asked me, I'd do it. Not just because I'm trying to convince you to show me this, here and now, but because I believe firmly in bettering yourself. Just because I'm Claw doesn't mean I couldn't learn from the Heart. If someone from the Heart wanted to learn from my fight, I'd fight. Unless you asked me to take on someone that would seriously kill me, but that's a non-issue because that's not what I'm asking of you. You have no idea what it's like, then, watching from the outside of this indescribably fascinating world that you, because you've got a very particular skill set, have no chance of learning about. Or rather, of being capable of..."
He shook his head again, this time slowly, "but fine. If you think it's a waste of time, then I won't bother you. I shouldn't have come to you, anyway. I couldn't tell you if the spirits willed you helping me out or not: that's why I'm here in the first place. I can't seek answers from spirits I can't... look, whatever. That's fine. I'm sorry to have bothered you and got your fur all up. I'll just keep it to myself."
He pressed his paw down on the rabbit, killing it, then got up and turned away, still not really showing his emotional reactions on his face. He was irritated, but he wasn't so naive to not see her side of it. Of course it was trivial to her, and it was to him when he took a step back. That didn't make it any less annoying for him.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:03 pm
Throughout his entire 'lecture' she is growling, a low rumble in her throat, as she stares directly at him. Spirits above, but he prattles. On and on he goes, the words spilling from his muzzle long after the point has been made, continuing on until the meaning has been completely lost. So what if he is happy to waste his time play-fighting for the entertainment of others? "I am not here to provide entertainment, Veteran. If you wish to learn the will of the spirits then come to me with a purpose and I will gladly assist."
Of course she doesn't know what it is like, to not be a member of the Heart. Why does he mention such an obvious thing, as if it is important? She does not know what it is to be a member of the Claw either, but she does not go to them asking pointless questions. When she wants to know a thing, she goes to observe it being done. If she wants to know something specific, she goes to Chuma and asks to be shown. She does not go to Chuma and say 'do Warrior things for me' and expect for the knowledge to fall from the sky! So she snorts, almost laughing, and the growls die as easily as they began.
"If you had come with a question rather than idle curiousity, Veteran, this would have been different," Kivuli shrugs as he kills the rabbit, watching while he turns away, "but I warn you, if you ever try to waste the time of any member of the Heart --and the time of the spirits!-- again, then I will see that it is known. Come seeking answers, or do not come at all."
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:05 pm
Raruo paused, heaving a profound sigh. He had this annoying habit of feeling bad when he was made aware of his being rude, which was very inconvenient because it happened all too often. He wasn't a bad guy, per se, just gruff and with his own set of social standards that, in no way, worked in mixed company. Hanging his head a bit, mustering what inner strength he would need for this, he rolled his eyes and turned his head over his shoulder back at her.
"You're right," he said, nodding slowly, "I should have planned it out a bit better. I'll go talk to one of the younger folk, I guess. They're always happy to share what they're learning. It's just- it's not a waste of time for me. Answers are what I want, I just don't know how to get them. I don't know how to explain it, either. Don't really want to. It's a lot easier to be patronizing than understanding, I know that pretty well." No, he warned himself, "it wasn't 'idle' curiosity by a long shot. But that's fine. I understand where you're coming from. I meant no offense, young lady. I'm... ah... sorry."
He raised his eyebrows as if he might offer a smile in peace, but his muzzle didn't seem to know how to do it, so he shrugged, made a grimace that almost worked for his purpose, "I don't really care if you spread the word about my search. Hell, it might help. Maybe there's someone in these lands that understands it's not a waste of time. Theirs or the spirits."
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:02 pm
"You cannot find answers if you do not ask questions," she shrugs, a little confused that she would have to say something so obvious. And that is what she just doesn't understand - why would be come to a Haruspex with an offering, but no question? Arriving as he did, with the question merely an afterthought, made it seem as if he didn't care about what was being done at all, about the time or effort spent.
"Apology accepted."
And then she frowns, not pleased to leave things as they stand. Kivuli is used to having to help members of the Claw learn what questions to ask, what answers to seek. But perhaps she should just look at this Veteran in the same light - not only does he not know what to ask, he doesn't even know that he should ask, to begin with. This is knowledge that she's taken for granted all her life, and while it seems strange that he would not know it is narrow-minded of her to expect that he would.
So she settles herself down, gesturing towards the dead rabbit. "Come with a live offering, as healthy and strong as you can manage. Larger and more powerful offerings please the spirits, use them for important matters. Simple readings can be done with something as small as a mouse, but I would not work on anything smaller than... hm," and she raises a paw above the ground, squinting down at it, "this big. Not enough to spill out, if the offering is too small."
"Come with questions, or, if you cannot find the right question to ask, come with a situation, a problem. It is best to give as much information as possible to the Haruspex before the reading, to help them make sense of the knowledge shared by the spirits."
There. That should be enough, even if she's only shared a few details that any young member of the Heart would learn in their early training. And with her own twinging conscience soothed, the Haruspex inclines her head. "I hope that will help you in your search for answers."
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:24 pm
Raruo watched her curiously, his big meaty head tilted slightly to the side. His expression was oddly youthful, intent, and he nodded slowly at her words. He was taking mental notes, making sure each word was ingrained in his memory, which had not yet started to fail him despite all the teasing he often got for his graying mane and distinctly aged mannerisms. He watched her paw carefully, almost lifting his own to make sure he had the measure right, but not wanting to look too much like a nerd.
He realized then that he was already too unaware of his expression, and that there was a good chance he had his mouth hanging open slightly in thought. He shook his head and cleared his throat, puffing his chest out a bit and straightening his posture. Nodding slowly, one corner of his muzzle seemed to be twitching, a valiant effort to make him smirk. It failed, but his eyes still reflected his appreciation.
"I'll keep that in mind. I'll try to find a question that's fitting. Something I have need for, and interest in, and hopefully then... I don't know. I need to think about it, but thank you. For explaining and all that." He grumbled the last bit a little, looking down. His inability to thank her directly really only added sincerity to the words. He was not great with showing how much things meant to him, or giving other people proper compensation in words for their services toward him. Most days it just made him look like a jerk.
Which, really, he was perfectly okay with. Except today he wanted to make sure she at least knew he really did value this exchange, and he would take her words to heart and make sure he didn't muck it up next time.
"Yeah, so. Uh. Thanks again. And. Er... I'll uh. See you around the... pride." Not quite as eloquent as he had wanted, but to him it seemed like a good effort. He nodded again, backing up awkwardly for a moment before bowing his head low and turning.
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:10 pm
His interest and obvious attention to detail pleases her, enough that the grim Haruspex even manages to crack a smile by the end of it. There, that turned out reasonably well in the end - her annoyance has melted away, to be replaced with pleasure at having been able to assist even in some small way. Now the Veteran will be better-prepared for the next Haruspex he visits, and if the spirits will it to be so he will find the answers he seeks.
Once he figures out a question to ask, that is.
"You are welcome," she replies simply, dipping her head to return his bow. His grumbling and awkwardness is ignored, and not returned. Her tone holds nothing but sincerity, her expression free of any scorn or amusement. So far as she is concerned, the situation has been settled and she is pleased with the outcome.
As the Veteran departs, her gaze drops to consider the rabbit. It's probably still warm, if perhaps a little squished by the force of his paw. So she rises, collecting the limp body in her jaws, and then strolls off to find a private place to enjoy the free meal.--fin--
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