Nemeios:
Tomorrow. They would ship out tomorrow Nemeios had decided.
He'd talked to his crew about where they might be going. They were habitual places, but that meant the spoils should be guaranteed, rather than some place new that they weren't sure of. He sat on a rock overlooking the waters near the place he had come to call home.
It was a funny thing, home. He had cared for his family, but where they had lived had never felt quite right by him. Coming here... He had finally felt like he was in the right place. And he still had Kook with him, so he was never without family. How funny it was that his brother was older (If only by a few moments) and larger than him, but he was the captain and Kook the first mate. But then, Nem had always been the leader, the clever one. He listened to his brother and Kook was no simpleton, but it seemed like he was the one always putting himself in charge. And it seemed that both he and Kook were okay with that.
His thoughts trailed away from his brother to a certain female. How strange it was that he would truly miss her. Yes, he had told her he would think on her, but he was used to telling anyone what they wished to hear if he needed to be in good favors. But this time he had to consider that he probably would honestly miss her. It was unusual and partly annoying, but he was clever and quick. He would figure this out in no time.
Makena'Lesedi:
She had been busy thinking of him all day.. But she couldn’t allow herself to let it be known. Not yet. Everyone so far knew she had taken to him, and he was her favorite. No one really knew if he was being honest about the whole thing, as females could be easily seduced into doing what they were told. But Makena had a feeling, deep down, that he felt at least something for her. It wasn’t an unfounded thought, he had promised to think of her often and maybe bring her something back for her from his adventures. She was positively itching to see what he would bring her. Oh goodness! Maybe it would be a treasured jewel she could add to her adornments. Or maybe it would be a soft fabric she could wrap around a leg. Either way, she would show it off, and be proud to let anyone who asked know just where the special favor came from.
She smiled at the cubs at her paws, motioning them off to play with the other nannies. She had just returned from a hunt, and the cubs were excited. Of course, the cubs usually took to her quite well, she needed to get this to the pirate crew however. She giggled, pulling the gazelle by the throat with her maw. Once the cubs gave a disappointed “Awwwww…” she continued heading towards the round stones where they usually took up council. Dropping the gazelle on the large rock outside of the circle, she felt proud of herself.
Nemeios:
Nem turned away from the view after a few more moments of thought, a smooth smile spreading on his face as his view changed to something just as interesting. Makena had been out hunting, apparently.
Without a word, he walked over to her, the smile still on his face as he stepped right to her side and rubbed his cheek against hers.
"And here I almost thought I wouldn't get some alone time with you before we left," he said, pulling back so that he could look at her. Looking at her now, he could see the resemblance little Omari had to his mother, much as the young male had tried to hide it. Sneaky little brat.
Makena'Lesedi:
She hadn’t noticed that he was so close to her. She had been smiling at all the crew members, offering them a bow of her head as they smiled at her. She knew she was helping them a lot, and they did appreciate it. Or most did anyway, the ones that treated her with respect did. She went to turn from the circle of stones that made the ‘council circle’ and as she did, she was greeted with a rub from another. It ended at her cheek, and she nuzzled hers into it as well. She knew who he was without even looking, the scent of him covering her senses and making her heart pound faster.
She turned, her red eyes lighting up when they met his.
“Youre leaving me already?” She teased and winked, her tail twitching happily. She wasn’t sure where he would go but that didn’t really matter. She looked at him with a seductive glimmer in her eyes. “You still promise to think of me?”
Nemeios:
"A pirate's life, pet. We can't lounge about here forever. There's treasure to be had," Nem replied, nudging her a bit, hinting that they should leave the more public area. He'd be spending a while out there in the roguelands with his crew. Right now he wanted it to be just himself and the corsair.
"When I make a promise, I do try to keep it," he added in a lower tone. It wasn't really something he wanted getting around. He didn't really make promises, so that was an easy indicator that she was a little different from others in his eyes.
Makena'Lesedi:
When he began nudging her, she took the hint. She smiled at him, her cheeks turning a shade of red all their own. She motioned with her head for him to follow her. She knew of a secret little hollow in one of the dens reserved for the Corsairs. She had a vague assumption that it was probably out of the public e ye cause just maybe it was their for nefarious purposes. But it didn’t matter, it was a quiet little area where few came. Once she was there, she turned so that he could see the entire length of her body. She was muscled where she should need to be, and thin in the areas she should be thin. She was a gorgeous lioness, one of perfect shape for the most part. If there was anything off it was likely the fact she was slightly smaller than the females around the pride. But not by much.
“Im glad to hear that.” She said, her voice a purr. She looked at him hopefully and couldn’t hear over the beating of her own heart in her chest!
Nemeios:
Nem looked around at the place she had brought him with a small look of approval. This place would do just fine for the privacy that he wanted. Alone time with his favorite corsair, away from spying eyes and listening ears. He didn't have anything lewd in mind, he just didn't want to share anything personal with the rest of the pride and all that. Though, anyone could see them walking away... Let them come up with an explanation.
The smile still on his face, he slipped around Makena as smooth as the snake that coiled around his upper body, rubbing his shoulder against her until he was back at her side again. He then proceeded to give her cheek a lick.
"I had a very interesting conversation the other day with a rather clever little brat," he said between grooming and nuzzling her cheek and ear.
"Does the name Omari ring any bells?"
Makena'Lesedi:
She accepted the affection with happiness, and rubbed against him, the purr audible in her throat. She sat, tail curling over her front paws, cocking her head as he spoke. She let herself calm down from her heartbeat before answering. She didn’t want her voice wavering..
“Oh I hope he didn’t give you any trouble.” She said, though Omari was the last little Pirate to give anyone troubles. He wasn’t like Schylar, or hell, even Zamora. They had a lot of spunk for two little juveniles. Omari and Pizarro tended to be more momma’s boys. “But yes, hes got a smart wit. I think he gets that from his grandfather.” She said happily. She had forced herself to forget the cubs father. She had loved him after all, and she had needed to heal. Now, it was easier, and she never really had to talk about him.
Nemeios:
Nem only chuckled in response to her hope.
"Not really. I believe he thought he could fool me into not making the connection between the two of you. Tried covering his spots and everything," he replied, continuing his grooming. It was unusual for a pirate to do so to a corsair, at least he thought so. It was usually the other way around. But she had seemed a little flustered and he was doing this both to try and relax her as well as the fact that it felt right to do so. He almost grinned as he tried to tickle her ear with his nose.
"I believe he was trying to size up the male his dear mother has been spending so much time with lately," he added, leaning back just enough to show her his smirk. Oh, he was rather smug indeed over the whole thing. The gender ratio in their pride was rather poor at the moment, so managing to make yourself a specific corsair's favorite was a pretty high feat.
Makena'Lesedi:
“Then he really is clever.” She admitted with a proud smile. Her little Omari, clever as he was sweet. She nodded, and leaned into his grooming, purring so loud that she was sure her entire body was vibrating. When he came and whispered in her ear, she flicked it and pulled away with a giggle. She wasn’t tickled often, but it still brought a smile out of her. She leaned in to nuzzle under his chin, pulling back once she was satisfied and licking his cheek. She felt special, being a Captains favorite. If she really was. But she noticed he didn’t spend near as much attention to others as he did her. She wouldn’t say it though for fear he might realize and stop. So she just happily accepted the affection.
“Omari is a good boy. But you let me know if he bothers you.” She said with a grin. She knew he wouldn’t, but still.. It was best to know that she was a good mother, and she wanted others to see her that way.
Nemeios:
"I doubt he will. Unless he decides to follow me wherever I go. But I have no problems putting him in his place if he does," Nem replied, giving her another nuzzle. "Don't worry about him."
He had rather liked her head tucked under his chin, so after a moment, he leaned up and placed his head on top of hers. He ran his chin over her mane a couple of times and sighed. Ah well.
"I really am going to miss you," he finally said, a little surprised at it, really. He never missed anyone. Sometimes he thought of his mother and the rest of his family, but he didn't miss them. But for some reason, he really did think he would miss Makena. It was more than just a little annoying, really. He'd probably be distracted, and that was the last thing he needed while out there with his crew.
Makena'Lesedi:
She grinned and liked that she didn’t have to worry about her cubs. They were smart, and they knew who not to mess with. She loved those kids..they had saved her life..They had brought her here. When he asked her not to worry, she let the thought of her children go. She wanted to just focus on themselves. She let him place his head over hers, and she nuzzled into him, snuggling into his fur and smelling his scent, letting it fill her nostrils. It was almost intoxicating, the way he had that affect on her.
“Are you?” She asked, her eyes looking at him hopeful. She had never been told those sweet things..Ever. She could get used to being talked to as if she was a lady. As if she was important.
“Thank you.” She smiled, licking his cheek and touching her nose to his.
Nemeios:
"Surprisingly, yes. I don't miss things, not usually. My family is special to me, but I don't miss them, even after all this time we've been apart." He looked down at her and for once his smile was just that. Not a smirk, not smug or forced or too clever. He just smiled down at her.
She made him think about his name. Everyone called him Nemeios, the name he had found for himself. It was a good name, but in the end it wasn't really his. His name would always be the one he was born with, the reason he thought of his ship as the Emerald Dragon.
"I can give you a gift to have while I'm gone, if you wish," he said, bringing a paw up to run the back beneath her chin.
"But you can't let anyone know about this gift. If you want it, you have to swear you'll not tell anyone."
She was crew once. He couldn't help but wonder what her name had been.
Makena'Lesedi:
She liked the quality about him. He didn’t miss a beat. She saw his smile and she felt a feeling of relief flood t hrough her. She saw that he did feel something. She knew now for sure. She continued snuggling with him, until his asked his question. She pulled back to look at him, cocking her head as amusement came across her features. Her ears flicking back in impatience, but a smile on her maw, she nodded exhuberantly, her head fluff bobbing.
“Oh I promise Nemeios! I promise I wont tell a soul.” She scooted closer to him, her face almost in his. Excitement hit her eyes and she almost looked like a cub again. She was so excited to hear what he would ask, because she loved secrets. They made her feel special.
Nemeios:
Nem looked down at her, smirking a bit at her enthusiasm. Even though she was excited, he could believe her, he knew she would keep the secret. In truth, it wasn't something major, but in a pride where only the corsairs went by their given names, knowing a pirate's true name was something rather rare, unless they had been born and raised within the pride. The Dragon kept his name like a precious treasure, no one but his brother and the pirate king knew his real name.
"Smargad. Only my brother knows that name here, the name our mother gave me. And the king of course." He considered her for a moment, pondered his preferences.
"I think, when we're alone, I wouldn't mind it if you called me Smar." He knew it wasn't something terribly special, but to him it was a part of him only a few knew, a part of his past. And he wanted to share it with her, to let her know that she was special, to remind herself of that when he was away.
Makena'Lesedi:
She didnt know any of the pirates real names. For what she knew, she wasnt sure all of them had their own names. Like Pirato. She wondered about him. But she was too fearful to ask, unsure if he had a name before his Pirate name. So when Nemeios told her his, she smiled, and flicked her ears back with a blush, though she shoved her head back under his chin and purred.
"My pleasure, Smar." She said, her purr continuing. It was special to her, whether it was a golden trinket or not. She was the type to see beyond the loot. Much unlike most of the creatures within these lands and this pride.
Nemeios:
Smar smirked a bit when she shoved her head under his chin. He liked hearing her say his name. Yes, he had chosen Nemeios for his name, he liked it, but it wasn't his true name. It was a name to tell his crew, to detach who he was now from who he once was. Makena would be one of the connections. She knew the captain and the lion, at least to some degree.
"I'm glad it makes you happy," he replied, rubbing his head back and forth a bit.
Makena'Lesedi:
"It does," she responded, a sigh escaping her maw as she sat there, listening to his heartbeat and the sound of his breathing. She knew he would have to leave soon, and her heart felt like it was knotted in a million different places. She gulped, snuggling into him more at the thought. Almost like she could keep him there if she tried.
Nemeios:
One paw rose to wrap around her back.
"The crew doesn't need me until tomorrow..." He trailed off, turning his head a bit to rest his cheek on her head-tuft. He didn't really have anything in mind other than spending time with her, if she wanted him to stick around.
"I could stay if you need some more time with me." Okay, so maybe his tone was a little more smug than he should have let it be, but even if he liked her and was being rather affectionate, he still had to be himself.
