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 Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:51 am
 Mirsajadi felt weak and more than a little shaken by his most recent fit. It had only released him from its clutches a few minutes before. As usual, what he'd seen made no sense to him, and that frightened him. He knew nothing about a seer's visions, and so his own terrified him. But that terror was nothing compared to the terror of having someone else maybe discover his failing, particularly his father. He would rather die.
The best thing to do, he knew from experience, would be to just force himself to go on as if nothing had happened and everything was fine. It was always hard at first, and his movements would be slow and awkward, but coordination would return as the last vestiges of his hallucination released their hold on his mind. The other important part was not to close his eyes if he could help it, or else he'd see after-images of his vision and it would make the effects last longer.
And so, sides heaving as though he'd run a marathon, Mirsajadi walked away from the main area of the pride, making his way toward water for a cool drink to clear his head and settle his stomach.
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Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:06 pm
 Nadhir too had been having a hard time, though his method for recovery wasn't nearly so elegant. He had been resting by the water since early morning, not wanting to bother his mother when he had woken to the flashing colors again. Since then there had been two more, the most recent coming with a barrage of sudden sound. During this vision he had stumbled over the edge and swallowed some water, which was now roiling about in his stomach as he laid to dry on the bank. Miserable. That was how he would have described it had he been asked. Now it was beginning to fade into tired though, and he felt a little bit better. He was staring at the water over his paws, oblivious to the others approach.
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Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:15 am
As he drew nearer to the water Mirsajadi saw with some dismay that someone was already at the water's edge. He recognized the coat color as belonging to the same litter as the banu he'd met a while ago. Her name had been Mel'Tamu, if he recalled correctly, and she'd thought she could fly. He remembered that she had been very careful to be polite and that she'd had striking green eyes. Overall, she'd made a favorable impression on Mirsajadi.
All that did not make him any happier to see her brother. Mirsajadi's head hurt and his stomach was heaving with the effort of walking this far, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in a miserable ball until it went away, but he knew that doing so would avail him little. That knowledge didn't do anything to make him more accepting of the inconveniences of his mental deficiencies, and instead served to make him rather short tempered and more sharp-tongued than usual.
Oblivious, or perhaps indifferent to Nadhir's evident weakness, Mirsajadi strode up to the water as if he felt perfectly fine and gave Nadhir a coolly appraising look which made it clear he was unimpressed by what he saw. Then, with the intent of convincing the younger pesar to leave so that Mirsajadi could drink and nurse his headache in peace and solitude, he spoke, not really in a mood to be subtle or witty.
"Leave." It was a command, and if it wasn't obeyed, there was a very good chance Mirsajadi would become crueler.
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:07 pm
Nadhir raised his head with some effort, matching the older boy's gaze. He was not usually defiant, not was he particularly aggressive, but he didn't appreciate being told off by anyone he didn't consider proven. "Why?" he asked, though it seemed less of a question and more of a statement of refusal. The word spoken he turned his head from Mirsajadi, staring back over the water. Red and brown and hurt. Blue and dark. His mind swam, the images flashing over again in a much faded form. They still might come back and he didn't trust himself to return home yet. His mother would have fussed and been angry with him if he had. "There's enough water for everyone."
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Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:35 am
Mirsajadi's red eyes narrowed in annoyance. He knew for a fact that this cub was younger than he and he did not appreciate being questioned. His own discomfort had put him in such a mood that he was not inclined to notice that Nadhir probably had his own problems and that relocating would most likely be problematic for him. As was usually the case, Mirsajadi put his own needs ahead of anyone else's and his needs specified that he had to be alone, and this was his favorite place to be alone.
"Undeniably," Mirsajadi agreed with an unpleasant sneer. "But you don't seem to be taking advantage of the water and I would prefer to be alone while I do so."
He stepped closer to the other pesar, doing his best to look large and intimidating and capable of initiating violence if it should become necessary. In truth, Mirsajadi despised uninvited physical contact and would avoid playful wrestling as well as real fighting. He would not make any sort of move to attack the other cub. But intimidation was not a problem, as long as he didn't have to go so far as touching him for it to be effective.
"I really think you should find somewhere else to mope."
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 7:59 am
Nadhir felt himself flinch and move a little to the side, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. Relaxing here was one of the few happy things he had in his life, he wasn't going to just move because someone else told him to. He always did things other people told him. It wasn't very fun. But this other male was a bit bigger than him, he wasn't sure what to do. Daddy would have known, but if Daddy were around this wouldn't even be happening. "I'm not moping," he said, his voice faltering a little, "I'm resting, my head hurts." It was the truth after all, and Momma always said the truth was the best way to get people to like you.
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 11:09 am
"If your head hurts, you should probably go home and have your mommy kiss it better," Mirsajadi said, his tone sharpening.
He would actually have liked very much to be able to go home and have his mother reassure him that he was find and everything would be fine, but the fact of the matter was that he didn't dare admit to anyone that he was having these difficulties, because doing so would be admitting weakness, and Mirsajadi would rather die an excruciating death than do that. Of course, it had occurred to him before that he might be doing exactly that. Dying by inches, each time he had one of those seizures. The thought terrified him almost as much as the hallucinations did.
"Besides, I promise your headache will get a lot worse if you don't find a new place to rest."
He tried to sound as menacing as he could as he said this, but he wasn't sure how effective he was. He was very close to being sick, a direct result of the unwanted stress of conflict, and either way it would not be pleasant for the other pesar to remain much longer. Unless he liked the smell of vomit. If he was already not feeling well, Mirsajadi really wouldn't recommend that the other pesar hang around. Unfortunately, he couldn't make that particular threat without confessing his own dilemma.
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Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 7:37 am
"Why don't you," Nadhir wavered, trying to get to his feet. He didn't like being here anymore, it wasn't relaxing. A wash of red and brown and pain rushed over him as he planted one paw, knocking him off balance again. It took him another few seconds to get up this time, his eyes heavily shadowed. He sensed something was wrong with the other but he couldn't place what, so he backed up. "I'll... Come back later," he conceded, finding himself staying in place for some absent sign. Momma probably wouldn't like that he'd let himself be weak.
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:43 am
Mirsajadi relaxed a little, though too late to do anything about the headache which was now raging behind his eyes. If he ever got the opportunity when he was feeling better, he would see to it that this puling pesar got what was coming to him. It wouldn't be physically, at least not coming directly from Mirsajadi, but it would undoubtedly be unpleasant. The sort of thing to make sure he never, ever crossed Mirsajadi again.
It didn't matter that the lighter-furred cub was clearly ill-looking, or that he was still attempting defiance. In fact, his evident weakness seemed to bring out a part of Mirsajadi which rarely came to light without coaxing. Through his own red-tinged haze, Mirsajadi sneered and then laughed at Nadhir's difficulties in getting to his feet. He didn't know what the cub's problem was, though he sincerely hoped it wasn't contagious, but it felt good to be the dominant one for once.
In a den with so many older siblings and a father whose rule was somewhat tyrannous - though deservedly so - Mirsajadi rarely got to savor the sweet taste of dominance and mastery. It wasn't ideal, of course, that his target should be weaker than he, and ill as well, but it was a start and Mirsajadi wasn't feeling all that hot himself.
"Your first good idea yet," Mirsajadi taunted, hoping he could maintain his facade until the other cub had departed, and hoping even harder that this added stress wouldn't trigger another fit. He'd never really engaged in direct conflict before when he felt so bad. Not even that time when Anwar had almost caught him.
"Go."
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:08 am
"I heard you," he snapped, his breath catching in his throat, "the first time." This other boy was pushing it. Even on a good day he had a problem with those that showed much too little respect. His father had instilled that in him. Asking him to leave was one thing, demanding it again when he had already agreed was another entirely. "Watch yourself," he managed to say a little softly, "I said I was leaving, there's no reason to be rude." He turned away, feeling a bit satisfied with himself. He would leave, of course, he had said he would. But he wouldn't leave skulking.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:49 pm
Mirsajadi could feel the red edges of something very bad around the periphery of his vision. With that looming, the younger boy's insolence would have to be allowed to slide for the time being. He was really in no condition to follow through on any of his half-issued threats, and if he made any more he might be forced to do so. It would be better simply to lift his chin and pretend not to have noticed. And that should not be so hard. The dully-colored pesar was beneath his notice anyway.
Just the same, Mirsajadi knew he would have to do something in the future about this pesar. There was no way to interpret the words "watch yourself" except as a threat, and Mirsajadi would not be threatened. He was the son of a vizier, and in all ways superior to most of the cubs in the pride. For him to allow someone to threaten him or intimidate him would be unacceptable. His father would be furious, and the wrath would probably not fall on whatever person threatened Mirsajadi, but on Mirsajadi himself for allowing it.
"Good day, then," Mirsajadi said with mocking good manners and an insincere smile. He should've just let the other pesar have the last word, but a reluctance to do so was ingrained, and overwhelmed even his physical and mental discomfort.
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