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 Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:44 pm
 Viking was probably Aesir's favorite activity. It was basically sanctioned bullying, and although he had become significantly less of a bully with the Stormborn, the urge to intimidate and issue threats hadn't totally left him. Many times he wished he could just beat people who were problematic to him as Warlord, rather than try to work things out in a diplomatic manner. But that was what it meant to be a Warlord. Brains had to work with brawn. Going viking felt like an escape for the Warlord, and he planned to wring every last drop of enjoyment from this excursion before he returned. Pillage, plunder, and rapine were all on the docket.
In the ordinary course of things, pillaging and plundering came before the rapine. Sex was the perfect relaxation activity after a full day of battle. Partners were never difficult to find, either. There were the conquered and the captured, after all. Some were more feisty than others, and those females were more to his taste than the ones who were too shocked or scared to react - positively or negatively. Yes, Aesir preferred his females with fight in them, though at the moment he would have been content with a docile captive.
The problem was that he'd yet to capture any females, and Aesir was not at all the sort to enjoy a male lion in that way. Like all the Stormborn, he found that sort of relationship repugnant. And to make matters worse, Aesir, Warlord of the Stormborn, was mated to a lioness who more or less dictated when they would be having sex. And it wasn't often. The poor man was suffering from a serious case of blue balls. Not that he could tell anyone about it, since it would mean admitting that he was definitely not the lion in charge when it came to his relationship with his mate.
And the day's take hadn't even been that good. It was all very frustrating, and if Aesir didn't find something to take his frustrations out on, there was a very good chance he would snap at his companions, which would be very bad indeed. A Captain never took out his anger on his Reavers. He growled softly as he walked, but otherwise he was silent.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:42 pm
 Räven hadn't had any fun in a long, long time.
The lioness lived for the moment, for the thrill. Almost any thrill would do. The hunt, the chase - be she the prey or the predator, it was all the same. Trickery had been the lioness's only pleasure for a while now. While she enjoyed bending her devious mind to mischief, the savage streak in her cried out for something more.
The lioness had been sleeping - or perhaps simply waiting. It was difficult for her bright, strange mind to come to rest for long. The lion was quiet, but she heard his soft growls. She stilled her own breathing, listening in something like rapture.
Those growls sounded savage, like the other part of her, the true part of her.
Räven rose, silent, and padded towards those growls. She paused when she caught sight of the other lion, going absolutely still. A big male, obviously warlike, obviously dangerous. Räven laughed softly to call his attention. Her eyes were bright and greedy as she looked him over. She smiled (or did she bare her teeth in a snarl? Even she didn't know). If he moved to attack, she was ready to flee.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 7:27 pm
Aesir's ears swiveled to catch the sound of soft laughter. The voice seemed feminine, but the laugh itself was not particularly girlish. In his mind, he didn't imagine that this was the laughter of a young cub, but rather that of a grown lioness. His eyes quickly followed his ears, eager and curious to see what sort of lioness laughed when confronted by a Stormborn Warlord in a foul temper.
When Aesir's amber gaze fell on a sleek lioness with a coat the color of flames and a practically rapacious look in her eyes, he felt his black mood dissipate. This was a lioness he could really enjoy. The look in his own eyes was probably as greedy as hers, for he made no effort to hide his hunger for exactly the sort of encounter he hoped this one would turn into. Already he could imagine that lithe body moving beneath his...
Thoughts on the present! Her teeth did not escape his notice, and the way they were exposed was ambiguous, smile or snarl. Aesir honestly would have been fine with either, so long as the end result was the same. It was a credit to his self-restraint that he didn't lunge forward and take what he wanted from this oh-so-tempting female. Instead he remained where he was, almost as if rooted to the spot, and took in the very attractive view she presented.
It didn't cross his mind to actually say something. What was there really to say?
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:00 pm
The male hadn't given chase immediately. How interesting. He was simply looking her over. The soft growls had stopped. Surprise could have rendered him silent, but she believed it was something different. The dark lion no longer looked angry. He looked ... hungry, much like she herself.
This would be interesting.
Even if she had expected to meet such a lion, Räven would not have planned for the encounter. Planning for such things took away the essence, the vitality. Would they fight? Would she flee? Would he capture her? The uncertainty added to the thrill.
By standing still, the dark lion with the interesting markings of ruddy gold had given her the first move. Räven did not waste any more time on indecision. Her smile turned into a true snarl and she sprang towards the lion, teeth bared -
Only to whirl away at the last second and go darting off, with a clear, mocking laugh. "Catch me if you dare, warrior!" The lioness called. Her pale eyes sparkled with rabid delight.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:26 pm
He had given the lioness the opportunity to choose the nature of their interaction mostly unwittingly, but once Aesir realized what he had done he found he had no regrets. The end would be the same, he did not doubt, but not knowing exactly how things would play out, and whether he would have to fight for his conquest or if it would be more of a surrender made it far more diverting he decided.
He stood by this decision even as the lioness's expression shifted from what might have been a smile to what was definitely a snarl, a momentary precursor to her forward spring. If he had wanted to, Aesir probably could have twisted out of her path and batted her down hard from the side, but he knew from a great deal of experience that it was actually easier to wrestle an opponent to the ground by simply meeting their initial charge and then forcing them down by any means necessary. His larger size tended to be helpful in that.
When the lioness spun away laughing the Warlord was grateful he had done no more than brace himself for her attack, for he would have felt immeasurably foolish if he had tried to evade a feint. A true feint, not even intended to precede an actual attack, from what he could tell. That invitation certainly didn't sound like someone issuing a challenge to do battle. It sounded like something else entirely, though the phrase "if you dare" rankled him. What did she think she could do to shake his courage?
"I dare," he answered her with a feral grin. It was all the warning he gave before springing after her.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:44 pm
It would be so much more fun if the dark lion caught up with her, but Räven did not hold anything back when she ran. Her muscles burned, the bright pain singing through her body. Her eyes shone. Yes, yes, this was the stuff of life. She did not know whether he was inspired by lust for blood or lust for her, and she did not care. She herself had a little of both.
The dark lion did not fall behind. Räven felt she could have run forever, but she wouldn't have been fresh when he finally caught her. At bay, the lioness whirled, a blur of red and white fur and gleaming white teeth, snapping and gnashing.
She did not stand and snarl, trying to face the dark lion down, but leapt at him as soon as she turned. Claws and teeth were bare, seeking his blood. She laughed as she jumped at him, instead of roaring a challenge. Would this strange dark lion dance with her, or run? Somehow, she did not think he would run.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:04 am
It might seem logical that a lion would be tired after a day of raiding, and therefore unfit to go chasing after females, or at the very least uninterested in exerting the extra effort. Logic of that sort had no place in the world of the Stormborn, however. For Aesir and his Stormborn comrades, a little exertion after a day of fighting was more than acceptable, particularly if there was some pleasant reward at the end of the day. Usually this reward took the form of mint (rationed on raids) or a feminine bit of fluff to entertain him, and they were made all the more enjoyable by the work done previously to earn them.
Running, Aesir unconsciously thought that for the work he was doing to earn this reward, it would have to be a particularly pleasant one. Already he was building this encounter up to be one of epic, mythic proportions, one he could return to tell his comrades about, casting the fox-pelted lioness in the role of a forest spirit. That would be totally believable, and the way she moved through the trees and brush certainly bordered on the preternatural. It was as if she didn't even need to look at their surroundings, though that was probably due to familiarity rather than any occult power.
Much as he was enjoying the pursuit, which set his blood singing with the thrill of the chase, Aesir was glad when the lioness turned and for a split second he thought she might have tired, unlikely though it seemed based on her generally not-exhausted manner. This impression didn't last long though, when he noted her bared teeth and the fact that she was flying through the air toward him with her claws extended and her sharp teeth exposed. And yet she laughed and Aesir began to understand how fighting females could turn the Reaver Taraxa on so easily.
There was no time for him to stop his forward momentum, though he made some effort to check his speed so that he wouldn't crash into her and seriously damage her with just the force of impact. When she came close enough, Aesir pulled back even more to absorb the shock of impact, but his teeth and claws were bared. The Stormborn didn't fight with claws sheathed, even when they fought for fun. At least, this Stormborn didn't.
"Is there a prize if I catch you?" he asked. His mind was already considering and discarding various ways he could get the lithe lioness pinned beneath him.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 9:52 am
The other lion didn't pull up in time to stop himself from crashing into her. Räv was on the small side for a female, but she was tough and agile. She turned as much as she could, avoiding the impact. Räv's power lay in her quick teeth and claws, not in her brute force. In a full-on collision with the larger lion, she would surely come off the loser.
For all his apparent ferocity, the dark lion was now restraining himself again. Her lunge hadn't drawn out his aggression. Räven was a bit disappointed. She drew herself up, circling around the dark lion. The fox-pelted female laughed softly at his question.
A prize? Was he flirting, or didn't he already know? She examined him, her bright eyes avid. He was well-spoken for such a fierce looking brute. "The prize for catching me ... is catching me, my lord." She purred softly, her low voice husky. Could there be any prize better? The lioness smiled at him, that wild smile that was all flashing teeth. Now it was the dark lion's move.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:37 am
That was all he'd wanted to know. Of course, Aesir knew himself to be larger and stronger and a better fighter than this lioness, which meant it was only a matter of time before he emerged victorious from any sort of violent confrontation, but he had wanted to be sure that she understood the rules he was playing by. It wasn't essential for Aesir that his sexual partners be willing, but they must be present and cognizant of what was going on. In that respect his innate cruelty came through.
"That'll do," he said as he circled, watching for an opportunity to close the distance between them and bring her down.
He thought he saw one as she flashed a wide, toothy smile. The smile was like an invitation, and he decided to take it as such, even though he knew it meant she anticipated some sort of move on his part. Her anticipation and expectations would make it a little more challenging for him to accomplish his goal, but she did seem to be at least a little complicit when it came to the evening's activities, so he might not have to work too hard.
Aesir closed the distance between them, feinting right and then ducking to the left, his jaws spread wide to catch her by her white throat. He wouldn't break the skin there if he didn't have to, but it was the perfect position to force submission if he could get the hold.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:47 am
Here was the savagery Räven had expected, hoped for. She waited for him to come, baring her teeth in a silent snarl. Although she was quick, she did not try to dodge when he snapped for her throat. Räven would make it a challenge for this dark lion, but she did not truly want to escape. He had run her down, and now he had caught her. That was all in the natural order of things.
When the dark lion's teeth closed around her throat Räv laughed. It was a grip she couldn't escape. He didn't seem to want to tear out her throat, but he wasn't going to let her go. Her bright eyes flashed. Yes, Räv understood this.
She did not try to tear away from his grip, but she did lash out at him with her nearest paw, claws out to try to rake at his flesh. The dark lion would remember her, would remember the fox he had caught in the woods. She laughed as he bit her, her voice greedy and wild.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:07 am
Aesir was a little surprised that the russet lioness made no attempt to dodge his questing bite. Had he been less of a fighter, she probably would have lost her windpipe just because he'd expected her to pull back or otherwise try to avoid him. He'd been counting on it, in fact, but he knew what he was doing, and so by the time his teeth closed on her throat the only danger she was in would be if she tried to escape his grip.
For an instant Aesir savored the feeling of total power and authority which came with having his mouth around another lion's throat, feeling the pulse of blood and the elevated heartbeat, knowing that he had put that powerful emotion there and that it was well within his power to end their life in a bloody arterial spray, should he choose to do so. Usually the emotion making their blood pound was fear, but Aesir was not so stupid as to believe that was what he provoked in this lioness.
His momentary pleasure didn't fade with the lioness's attack. If anything, he was elated that she was still willing to fight him, even when he had her in an incredibly vulnerable position. He was not so clever as to figure out that by allowing herself to be thus caught, she was tacitly granting him her trust. After all, she was still attacking him, wasn't she? He was grateful for his thick mane, which protected a goodly portion of his torso, but still her claws broke skin and dragged open bloody furrows in his hide. He could live with that.
He weathered her attacks, slowly closing his mouth to restrict the flow of air. He didn't need to say anything. They both knew that he would be the dominant one when all was said and done. As for his bleeding flanks, the wounds would heal, and his story of being with a forest spirit would make remembering them that much more enjoyable at a later date.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:25 pm
The lioness could sense something in the strange lion, something like herself. The love of battle, ferocity, pain, fear, lust - all those gory, lovely things that made life worth living. The greed in his eyes matched hers. She admired the way he stood still as she tore at him, making him bleed.
The dark lion would remember her, she was sure of that.
The powerful jaws were tighter on her delicate throat now. Räv trusted the lion because his spirit was a wild thing like hers, and because she knew what he wanted. It wasn't to murder her. But if she continued to fight, he may well keep choking her until she simply passed out.
Then she would miss the fun. Räv did not intend to miss any of it. She laughed, her low voice a bit hoarse and breathy from the lack of air. "I submit, my lord," she purred. "For now."
She would, for now. And for later - she might slash at him again and flee, or simply run, laughing. This time she would not stop and allow him to catch her. This time she would run until her heart burst, if she had to. Räven could be caught, but no one could catch and keep her for long.
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