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 Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 11:24 am
Fresh to the Pride, Inari was settling in quite nicely. She, frankly, had never been happier. Lions here were rough and tough, and full of both grit and refinement. Something new to her was the concept of lion superiority, which just seemed right, now that she thought on it. They were the strongest on the lands, and did you see any cheetah gods meandering around? No. Lions were kings, and this pride operated as such. And strong lions, especially, were certainly the only to be good enough to call themselves free Stormborn. That was the way it should be.
Today the lioness had decided to meander by the cliffs. She was still getting used to this place- the chill from the sea was still new to her, but she treasured it. The churning of the water far below was truly something to behold- the strength of the waves was so fitting for the pride. She stood a safe distance from the cliff walls, peering down to the sea.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 11:31 am
Calder wasn't new to the pride. He was, practically, born into it. Well, he was born outside of the pride, but came in at a very young age. He was the 'chose one' in his opinion. Not his stupid sister, Kazul, but him. He would have a mate soon. He'd have cubs soon after that, and he was almost a Reaver. His life as the warlord's favorite son was something else. However, the pride was completely unsteady right now. He wasn't sure how long his status would last. Things were happening and he wasn't sure the change was for the best. At least, his gut told him this was taking place. He had a feeling life was fixing to turn upside down for him. He didn't like that at all. It made the male easily annoyed and angered. Walks is what he did most of the time, until he found a Captain to take him on a viking. He was just itching to go on one and capture himself a Thrall. Sighing, he found himself by the cliffs as he snapped out of his thoughts, pale yellow eyes looking around sharply, looking for anyone out here. Sometimes the newer ones would find their way here and sit in wonder. Yes, the pride was big, beautiful and chilly, but that's how he liked it. Finally, his eyes settled on a female not too far off from him. Interesting. She was new. He'd never seen her before. "You there," he said, having to yell a little above the wind. He padded his way over to her, chains making noise as he did. His pelt protected him from the wind, but even without it, he knew he'd be fine. The chill was no stranger. "Are you alright? You look a bit lost."
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 11:42 am
Inari's ear twitched at the sound of a voice... Or at least, it was what she perceived. The wind was quite loud in her ears, though she was growing accustomed to its drone. She turned away from the view after one more moment taking it in. A rusty lion approached her- she could tell just at a glance he was a pridemember, and certainly not a thrall. Most lions here were quite distinctive, and warriors were easy to pick out, and this deep into the territory, she knew that the only ones here were members of the pride.
"Lost?" she said with a chuckle. "I'm pretty sure I'm alright," she said, looking in one direction. "The main denning spot is that way, if I'm not mistaken." She hoped it was- if it wasn't, she may indeed have made herself lost. "I'm otherwise just fine- it's a great day to die," she said with a smirk. She loved the attitude here, and was quick to pick up on all of the local phrases. "Just getting to know the place. The name's Inari," she introduced with a small dip of her head. She felt no need to tell him she was new- just her name alone tended to be an identifier as an outlander. But she was who she was, and not particularly ashamed of it. Her birth "pride" though, that she was embarrassed about. Thus far, she'd managed to keep it mostly secret. Coming from a pride of peace-nicks wasn't something she was particularly proud of. She made a mental note: it would be nice to go viking there someday, if she ever got the chance to go...
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 11:54 am
"Maybe not a great day to die," he responded, never liking that phrase. Who wanted to die on a day when you did nothing? Snorting, the orange male sat down and let his tail twitch behind him. She pointed out the dens easily enough, so she wasn't lost. However, he wasn't wrong about her being new. Where she put the greeting was awkward, as well as her smirk after saying it. Unless she was planning something, this was a tell tale sign of a newcomer. "Calder," He said rather gruffly, clearing his throat and dipped his head. "You're new." It wasn't a question. It was a very serious statement coming from the Freeborn. He looked off into the distance, towards the ocean that he'd come to call home. Maybe a good day for a swim, but to die? He hadn't seen battle. Why would he want to die? Who wanted to die in the pride but stupid old lions who couldn't fight anymore? Ugh, that greeting irked the male so bad. "Who did you duel?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 12:05 pm
"I am," she said, ears flattening just a little bit, though it was nothing to be ashamed of. Perhaps that she could be picked out, but that would change- she would be sure of it. She just didn't know the most efficient way of making that change. She couldn't help but think somehow she'd started off on the wrong foot, but... Well, the thought didn't linger- frankly she didn't care much. The thought was out of her head as quickly as it had passed through.
"He never mentioned his name, and I have yet to learn it," she hadn't seen the male since the challenge, anyway. She wasn't really looking forward to it- he had a meeeean hook. It had taken her a half-day's nap to get her balance back after that blow to the head. A full day to kill the slight ringing in the ear. She supposed she had it coming, though, and she hadn't complained about it. Nor would she. "Black lion, red stripes on the legs, face, and tail. You know his name?" she asked, hoping he would. If not, she'd be sure to ask next time she bumped into him. It would be good to know.Saint Sergio ((Fey's boy, nicknamed Turisas, if you want Calder to know who she's talking about. XDDD ))
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 12:20 pm
Tch. Leave it to Turisas to lose a duel. This female didn't look like she could honestly hold her own. Not in his opinion, anyway. She was far to... happy and giving with information. He'd keep the name to himself and just studied her. Her patterns were odd. He felt he'd seen them before, but at the same time, nothing came to mind. It irritated him, somehow. Frowning deeper, Calder just watached the female with a careful eye. "You'll find him around. You ask him." He wasn't very forthcoming now, was he? He wasn't too friendly, either. "So, what rank did you take? You don't look like a reaver, so I'm guessing Freeborn. You don't have a warrior's spirit around you. Not in your eyes or the way you move." He was beginning to learn the difference. Some freeborn looked like reavers, while reavers looked like freeborn, so it was really hard and confusing some of the time.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 12:32 pm
"Very well," she said simply, picking up on his nature more. "I'll be sure to get it next time," she said.
"Considering you can't simply become a reaver immediately from joining, no, I didn't take that rank," she said shortly. That should be something someone in the pride should know. Heck, even she knew it- you had to go viking to get that, and you can't go viking as a rogue.
Inari could handle regular conversation. Hello, you're new. Name exchanges. The like. She had a tendency to do that kindly, like most rogues. She supposed that was the difference- she had been raised in the roguelands and it showed. By default, she tended to aim for alliances rather than enemies, and out there the best way to do that was to give a friendly face. She supposed she'd need to change that, now that she was here.
A condescending attitude, however, was not something she tended to take kindly to. Someone who thinks that they can judge just from an appearance- that's ridiculous. That, too, was something learned in the roguelands. "You can't always judge a lion by how they carry themselves when 'relaxed,'" she said, fire in her voice. Her jaw slightly changing where it sat by default- a trait that tended to show when she was irritated. "Not everyone flaunts their capabilities," she said simply. Life out there taught her at least that- sometimes it's foolish to show your power. And there are some that use an aura of helplessness as a disguise to draw in the weak of heart. Honestly, she'd done it a couple of times herself- she certainly didn't make the necklaces she wore.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 1:32 pm
Condescending? He didn't think he was being that. Then again, Calder didn't think much about his attitude. He had every reason to be, in his opinion. He was the warlords favorite, after all. A newcomer like her wouldn't understand it. Getting to his paws, Calder let out a bored yawn and sighed, stretching his legs quickly enough. These newcomers were so boring. They had no bite to them. They seemed to get in quickly, and mostly on luck. "It's easy to tell, still. When 'relaxed' a warrior is still alert and goes right back to being in defense mode as soon as he's aware there's another," he explained, watching her. "You didn't really do much in a way of reacting. You basically looked my way." She hadn't been defensive, hadn't so much as ruffled her fur over him coming out of no where. It made him curious about her, but not enough to ask. "Either way. Have you met the warlord yet? My father?" Just casually flaunting that. Light Atago (( More to come after a nap. ))
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 2:46 pm
"And if I had heard a sign of trouble or threat, I would have been much quicker to outwardly respond," she said simply, giving a small head tilt as she said it. "There's problems with being too jumpy, too," she said simply with a small shrug. Though, she wouldn't admit it, but he probably had a point- she should have at least been a little more... intimidating. Again- new. Rogue. Not good excuses though- her personal to-do list grew longer.
"I have not yet met the Warlord. Things seem a bit busy, what with the Breytast Vindar, so I should hope to wait for things to settle before I go pestering him. I'm quite certain he isn't just sitting around waiting for new rogues to stop by simply to say their name. Timing needs to be good, so I'll wait for a good opportunity." Just like a good attack- though the two were opposites. A good attack would be ideal when the target is distracted. A good meeting, when the target is able to have their mind in one place. She was unimpressed by the simple fact of his lineage, though she didn't say it or let it on her face. Blood may transfer power, but it does not always work that way. None knew that fact better than Inari- her half-sister was always weak, soft, and pathetic. Her father's blood certainly hadn't been of aid to her.
Either way, though, she didn't want to make an enemy of Calder... so she kept her lecture about meritocracy in her head.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:22 am
This female had a lot of guts. He liked it. His opinion of her changed and a huge grin broke out on his face. "Well met! Not a lot of new members stand up to me like this. It's quite refreshing!" His whole attitude towards her seemed to change and he nodded a little, tail flicking this way and that. Ah, it was nice to find a female that wouldn't be intimidated, it truly was. When he mentioned Aesir was his father, most of the others jumped in line and acted accordingly. "So, what do you think of our lands so far? Different, yes? I know it can be a bit chilly, but, when you can, find yourself a pelt and have it fastened like mine. It helps a great deal. And it makes you look bigger to intimidate the others. Be warned," he said, smirking a little, "some females in the pride like to act like a bigger jerk than I do. Hold your ground. Don't let them rile you up too much and you should be making plenty of friends." The fox colored lion just beamed at her, tilting his head as he watched her eyes. She had fire behind them, that was for sure. He noticed they stayed steady, no matter how he talked to her, and her head was firmly on her shoulders.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:43 pm
Frankly, the sudden change in his attitude was both shocking and somewhat welcome. While she did not chase after the approval of others, or care a lot about it, Inari did prefer to have a couple of allies as opposed to neutral lions. She was glad she had stopped his boredom- his yawning and stretching a bit ago was a good indicator of that. "Thank you. Good honest conversation is the type I'm best at," Inari could be known sometimes to speak her mind, even if it was blunt, or not the best time to say what she has to say. And sugarcoating... Was a huuuuuge bother to her. Her way of speaking often hurt others because of her sometimes brutal honesty, but the lioness called things as she saw them. Those that ran away crying... Well, at least they knew the truth. She hoped that there would be fewer of those here.
"Very different, but I love it," she responded enthusiastically, changing from a more serious to a lighter tone. "It is chilly, but I like it. And that seems like a good idea, too," she said, pondering whether or not there were any rogues out in the flatlands that would have one... She was lazy for crafting, but enjoyed the results. "I suppose it probably helps as a bit of extra defense against attacks as well, doesn't it?" It had more uses than just a wind breaker. Sometimes a dodged claw swipe still landed, but it'd have to make it through a full pelt before it reached your own, if you had one.
She nodded at his advice. "Seems sound, I'll keep that in mind," she said with a bit of a grin. Females who are jerks... Sometimes she had been called that too. Unrefined was another one that she was accustomed to being described as- Inari rarely took the time to reorganize her fur as many did. As long as it was in working condition, that's what mattered to her. She couldn't help but catch his smile. "A challenging lion is the most fun to get to know- it actually requires some work..." After today, the lioness could fully appreciate that statement- a lesson learned, among many for today.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 3:01 pm
Calder listened to her and nodded. Sugar coating things was a stupid thing. He wouldn't even do that to his cubs. He would tell them straight to the point of a question they asked. Even if it made him uncomfortable explaining, he would do his best to do it. That or he'd tell his wife to explain it in a straight-to-the-point kind of way. Honestly, cubs were going to have to learn these things. If they were old enough to ask, they were old enough to understand the answers. At least, that was his philosophy on raising cubs. Probably not the best in the world, but it would work for him. He hoped. "Challenges are always the best way to get to know someone. That's when lions are the most truthful, you know." He smirked at her and gave her a wink, thinking a moment. "Because you don't have time to come up with much more than what instinct tells you to. At least, in a duel that goes the proper way. Fast and furious. Raw, pure instinct driving you. Ah, I'm working my way to be a Reaver. I won't let any weaklings into the pride." He puffed at that statement, grinning wide and looked down to the den area again.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 3:20 pm
Inari nodded thoughtfully, smirking back when Calder did. "I haven't ever thought of it that way, but that makes sense," she said. "In the heat of the moment of a duel, there is no time for sugarcoating. No time for thinking a long time on what would be best, what wouldn't hurt the most... Just action." She supposed, in a way, a challenge was the best way to describe her too, then.
"You could have fooled me- I wasn't sure if you were Freeborn or a Reaver. It won't be long, I'm sure," she said. While she didn't know exactly how he was in combat, the way that Calder held himself could suggest to her how he was. From his thoughts and nature, she guessed he was a great fighter. She could be wrong, but with time, she'd get to see. She was sure she'd stay in touch with Calder.
"When I get there, I hope we could go on a viking together- I anticipate that that would be a lot of fun," she said with a smirk. Plus Inari was always glad to thieve from strangers- more stuff for her! She chuckled at his last statement, "I don't doubt that," she agreed, looking down with him. "The world's got too many flower-bloods to allow them to congregate here."
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 3:26 pm
Ah, he liked this female a lot! The grin just got bigger as he let out a laugh. He shook his head, braids moving with him. However, Calder got to his paws and stretched himself out. "You're right about that. However, I must go find a Captain to train me. Only a few more days and I'll be a Teaver out on his first Viking." He smirked at her and arched a brow. "If you're a good girl I'll bring something back." So he was a little flirt. Oh, well. He might have agreed to an arranged marriage, but he hadn't met the girl yet. At this point, he wasn't sure if there was one. Still, what harm was there in flirting? She was certainly pretty enough to catch his eye. "I'll be seeing you around then, Inari." With that, the male padded off in the direction he came. He was feeling in much better spirits than when he first came out here. Very good, indeed.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 3:36 pm
Inari laughed herself, picturing Calder having a good old time Viking all about in the roguelands. Some pathetic sad group of peace-nicks getting the crap beaten out of them... That image was hilarious enough. "Now Calder," she said, tilting her head down a bit but not taking her eyes from him. "You know that that'll never happen, so I won't be expecting anything," she said, lifting her head back up with a wry smirk. Inari, be a good girl? Like that would happen.
She enjoyed flirting herself, but only with the right guys... This pride, oddly enough, seemed to be full of perfect guys. "See ya, Calder!" she said back with a smile before turning back to the sea. She would let the sight of the powerful waves and the roaring wind fill her mind once more before she too would head back to the denning area. She was glad for today- she made a friend.Saint Sergio ((Sure thing! Fin! :3 We should RP them again sometime- they seem to get along fine. XP ))
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