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 Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:05 pm
Unlike most of the other Hongshan, Sjari barely spent time at the Red Quarter. In fact, he avoided it as much as possible. As much as he wished to consider himself one of them, he found it was impossible. At least right now. So he kept away and busied himself with duties the firekin had.
Since the Nergui, he had changed a lot. Once, Sjari had been a very strong, fearless lion. He and his brother had both been very promising young lions growing up in the Hongshan, excellent at combat, and confident in the right amount, and clever. The last year or so had not been kind to the black lion. He had lost plenty of weight, which gave him a rather tall, somewhat lanky look. And the Nergui had beat him quite a bit, more than most, which explained all the scars. And the somewhat poor vision in an eye, but only he really noticed that. He also had barely spoken since being captured.
Now, however, Sjari found himself incapable of finding a task. So instead he positioned himself beneath a rock, in the shade, and began to think about something he knew he must do soon, lest it consume him. He didn’t look forward to it, however.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:12 pm
Badieh stalked around the sands, head low, crimson eyes looking about. Her tail thrashed once or twice as if a serpent caught in the talons of an avian, fighting for freedom. She let herself relax, took a breath and walked forward, eyes watching, ears attent, listening. She was bored today, with no water for her share the heat was getting to the dark lionesses' pelt, and she looked for an outlet to seclude herself in shadows.
But, she stopped, raised her head, closed her eyes and took in a scent carried by the less than present wind. It was as if the wind had coughed it upon her, just to give her something to investigate, and, that she knew she had to do.
White toes carried her easily, her once lean body was growing thin, though the muscle remained. She trained in the night when the temperature dropped. She would not allow herself to become weak, thoughtless. Now, her thoughts were consumed with this unknown scent, one of the Hongshan, outsiders, she believed, but she had to put it to the test. Most appeared firekin enough, but now she had the chance to test the theory herself.
They...he, she affirmed, getting closer, was not far off, keeping shade to himself, which made it hard to see his face, who he was, she she kept still a short distance away. Waiting, watching, wondering how to proceed next. Badieh's social skills were not as strong as the fire in her heart, and she was hesitent.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:16 pm
There wasn't much in the desert besides the animals that moved in it, and so the black lioness' movements were quickly caught by his pale eyes. Sjari's head rather slowly moved to regard her, ears pricked though she was too far away to really be heard. A firekin, because he couldn't recall a Hongshan with that pelt. Perhaps she wanted the shade he had found.
Sjari wasn't one for company anymore, or confrontation. So he felt his best course of action would be to simply stand up and leave, let her have the shade, if she so wished. But to move away from her would be go further out into the desert, and that would be foolish. He'd have to walk past her.
So he stood up, though the black lion didn't hurry. And he walked towards her, but then gave her a wide enough berth, just to go past.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:20 pm
He regarded her, and she him. His pelt, dark, very dark, with just the slightest make of another marking upon a shoulder. Something strange, a marking, like her red one only his more mottled and seemingly wanting to hide into the rest of his pelt. She quirked a brow at him, as he watched, rose, walked and stood apart from her. There was a side of her, that she had long grown out of, as she wanted to, that would have saw this behavior as just. Since she was descended from true firekin blood, but, as he moved, and moved away from her, she furrowed her brows, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Why?" she asked simply. She would have asked for him to move, if she wanted it, made him move, if she had to, but he wanted to walk away, not even speak, say, state his name? "Where do you think you're going?" she moved to stand in front of him, a smirk crossing her maw.
She would not let him pass.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:26 pm
It seemed strange to him that she would be upset by this, considering Sjari had just surrendered his shade to her. The logical conclusion was that she had misinterpreted him, somehow, and taken offense. Perhaps this was a high ranking officer in this pride, and he should be more respectful, or bow his head, or something.
But when she blocked him, all he did was lean backwards somewhat, and blankly looked at her as she smirked. He didn't talk much, to Hongshan or firekin. It didn't seem like silence was going to let him get away now, however. "Away. Need to work." He responded, with a strange accent. Sjari knew the common tongue surprisingly well, but one could tell by hearing him he was from another place.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:32 pm
Badieh watched him, watched his motion as she did not falter from where she stood. He seemed to surrender so easily. What for? Why? When he spoke, her ears flickered, and her eyes watched him intently. His voice was, different, he was, different, and he had scars upon his pelt that were easily visible...even on his face. He appeared to be a warrior, or at least, had been, before the lack of water and food had gotten to him.
But even a warrior would retain their spirit...wouldn't they?
She shook her head and motioned back to the shade, "If you had work, you would have been there, not within the shade," she said simply, walking a few paces closer to him.
"What is your name?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:37 pm
She had a point, though Sjari feared he still couldn't find a purpose. Why was she interested, after all? Perhaps she was simply bored. He was hardly in the mood to simply be a distraction. But he also wasn't in the right condition to truly be upset. The black lion was, in many ways, simply a shell.
He didn't comment on her reply, and instead decided to keep things short. "Sjari." He supplied, but didn't ask her own name. She would tell him if she wanted to.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:43 pm
So, he was quiet, and tried to remain quiet. She extended her toes, her claws coming out just slightly as she stretched her forearms, her back, and then reclined back into a sitting position before him. "Well, Sjari, there is something more here than what appears," she said, eyes glinting. She had a plan for him.
Though, she knew, deep down, she also had to be sensitive. What if the scars were not from epic battles, but of something else? She wouldn't know if he never spoke, and he would not have a task, or something to do, if they did not do something together. "You don't like to be with many others, do you?" she asked simply, straight forward, watching him.
Perhaps they had something in common afterall.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:49 pm
At least this was better than gloomy Hongshan. There had been some improvement in attitude since arrival here in the desert, but most were still jaded and unhappy. Skeptical, perhaps. The firekin were in general apprehensive. this female, however, seemed unperturbed.
Maybe she should be, honestly. "Not anymore." He answered. Simple, but honest. some time ago, Sjari loved company. And he even still did, but right now it brought him pain. So avoidance was the way to go.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:53 pm
With his words, his voice, she curled and uncurled her tail and let it still. She looked around them, and looked back to him, and his silver eyes. They were the shade of the spots on the moon when full.
"If you want, I'll show you where I go, to get away from them...all of them," she loved the firekin, loved her family, her closest brother. But even still, she needed time away to think, to try and figure out who she was and who she was supposed to be. Her father had trained her well, but sometimes when alone, she questioned if who she had become now was molded by family bonds and ties, not by her own choosing.
"And I'll tell none where you go, if they ever ask."
Truth be told, even if he said no, she was not letting him get away that easy.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:58 pm
He might have frowned, but, for most part, Sjari's face was blank. Aside from his eyes, there was something pained, and sad about his eyes, for those who cared to look. He might have just kept staring at her, because saying no could be considered an insult. But he also didn't quite have the desire to follow this lioness and spend too much time with her.
Sjari wanted to brood, as he usually did. Still, he nodded. Yes, perhaps a place to get away from it all would be good.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:04 pm
As he nodded, she rolled her shoulders. He still didn't ant to speak much. Flicking her tail she motioned for him to follow, took a few steps and waited, to make sure he actually came with her. If he turned to run, which she hoped he didn't, it was hot after all, she would chase him, for the sheer fact that he was running away from her.
Badieh looked at him while she walked slowly, trying to catch his gaze but he seemed to purposely keep it away. Sighing she shook her head, thinking of what else she could do.
Being social couldn't be..this hard, could it?
What was she doing wrong?
"I realize you probably won't say, but why don't you want to be with them? Those you came with?" Badieh knew he might answer, a very slim chance, she could just be talking to stale air, but this...he, intrigued her.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:10 pm
He followed her obediently, and kept pace beside her. He wondered if his silence was beginning to unnerve the lioness, as he could tell by the way her head was turned that she was looking at him. He intentionally kept his gaze away.
Perhaps he felt a little bad now. It seemed this lioness was being kind to him, and he wasn't rewarding her with much. "Something happened. I can't tell you." After he spoke with someone else, he probably could, if she really remained interested. "Perhaps another day." Sjari said, though his voice didn't show any enthusiasm for such a day. He did at least look at her and held her gaze, if briefly, before looking back at the sand.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:21 pm
Obviously something had happened, but when he stated he couldn't tell her, she scrunched her nose while she looked forward, so he couldn't see. Perhaps he didn't trust her, but, could she blame him? She had come across him today, and, for one reason or another, would not leave him be. It made sense he would not entrust on a first day's meeting.
They moved away from the main area of the pride, where most lions gathered, and went for an area more secluded, stones in the distance, there was no prey here, no water, and there never had been. This is where Badieh came, to those rocks ahead, there was an area within, on certain windy days, you could hide away.
"Yes, perhaps another day," she realized then, she never gave Sjari her name. "I'm Badieh, by the way."
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:28 pm
He lifted his gaze to the rocks they were approaching. It did seem like a place that truly, no one would wish to visit. Perhaps she had done him a service, and provided him with a perfect spot for his brooding. He'd probably only be come upon by firekin on patrols, if they ever passed here. And in that case, he could just lay beneath a rock, and hide in it's shade.
Most firekin didn't even bother talking to him. This one, however, did. That made him actually feel something, for once, and it wasn't all unpleasant. Sjari was far from being able to say it had made him happy, but... at least, it couldn't have been worse.
"Badieh," He repeated to himself, if only to acknowledge her 'introduction'. The black lion nodded and glanced at her, just as they reached the first rocks.
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