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 Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:02 am
 Magpie had been called to Riddlemouth after her stand up for the Bahari cubs that Riddlemouth had stolen for the pride. She didn't hold many grudges, and still loved Riddlemouth as a lion and a king. So she went without issue.
Leo came behind her, which was odd to her. Magpie usually was the shadow to Leo, walking behind him to see what kind of things he was up to. His inventions intrigued her and the way he thought was like no other Magpie had met. And Magpie had met many different lions and other species in her time. But he was a good warmth to have around, without Leo she had a very boring life after the Merchants' area closed up for the night.
Perhaps the Head Merchant had some sort of affections for the Renaissance man. But in the end she knew his issues with any affections really.
When she settled on her heavy paws she sighed at Riddlemouth. "What did you want?" She didn't say it with any attitude, but it wasn't a good sentance to use while asking your king. However she was tired. She had to get back to working. Since that was what she was here for. Work.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:27 am
 
As Magpie, and to his surprise Renaissance. Well good. He'd hit two birds with one stone.
"Ah, my friends, please take a seat. There is much to discuss."
Leo walked in silence, just a few paces behind Magpie. He had heard the summons from Shandor and it didn't feel right letting her go alone. He suspected that Riddlemouth had taken offense to their defiance of him, and right in front of the pride. It was a risky move on the gypsy king's part, and it had cost them some of their older members. He couldn't blame them. It had been under-handed and lowly. Perhaps that was the new way of things, but those who had grown up in a peaceful existence, seduced by insanity and comforted by delusion would have very little love for such tactics. Thankfully, those that were lost were replaced by newcomers. Zephyr was a happy addition. Charming, sharp-tongued, and reasonable.
He shot a look to Magpie then slowly took a seat by the wall of Shandor's den, keeping himself well out of the way but still clearly present.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:36 am
Magpie wasn't angry at Shandor, it was more of a question of just wanting to be back at work. But she didn't pay attention to any grief her sharp question caused. Moving to the side she sat upon her rump. Flicking her tail up against her thigh. Her feathers clacked together and then stilled.
The Magpie didn't show any disloyalty to the Gypsies. For her, she believed that Shandor just did the wrong thing, and asked the wrong questions.
She also loved her job. The fear boiled under her skin though since the time she stood up to her king, maybe she was here to lose her rank. If surely so, she would remind Riddlemouth that her sharp tongue and reasoning was how she was hired onto the pride and welcomed.
She had been banned from a pride before. Her peoples before had made her leave. However she told no one that. Nor anything at all about the pride before the gypsies for that matter. Only that she came from the north. "I have to get back to work shortly.. As much as I would like to keep you company Riddlemouth.. I only have one merchant and myself keeping this place trading." She'd say in all honesty. And much lighter then her first question.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:29 pm
"Company is not hard to find here, Magpie. You should know that better than most. And you, Renaissance. I heard tell of your little...moment with Siren." The gypsy king smirked knowingly and brought a paw under his chin. "It takes quite a male to resist the advances of a lioness such as she."
Leo turned away and pressed his ears back against his mane. Oh heavens that got out already? He had hoped that no one had heard about that... perhaps Siren had said something. Or perhaps the sands really did have eyes here...
"I am not distracted away from my work easily, Riddlemouth." He said quietly. "Such advances lead to activities that take time and effort that I could be using on something more productive."
"Like solving Magpie's problem?" He raised a brow. Leo snapped his attention back to the king with a pair of wide eyes. "Not enough merchants. Nothing fixes a dry spell in a trade like a belly filled with little ones."
He chuckled and looked over to Magpie. "Which brings me back to the point. With a pride as small as ours, measures had to be taken. Method over ends, Magpie. We do what we must to survive. I did not ask for your support but I cannot let the fact that you questioned me in front of a dangerous outsider, and an unstable pride, in such a way."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:42 pm
Looking to Leo she blinked. She hadn't heard of Siren. Her curiousity spiked but she'd ask him later. Looking back to Shandor she smirked. Leo had always been like that to female advances. That was usual knowledge.
Looking up at the king, but not in his eyes to show him still that she respected him she smirked. "I've seen smaller prides." She said instantly and then tilted her head. "In the end we came out with a new alliance, did we not? But I understand where you are coming from Riddlemouth. And because I put you in such a troubling place. I'll accept your offer." She said calmly.
"But the choice is up to Leo if he really wants to be the one to.." She cleared her throat. "Solve my problem. But surely he should think hard about that." She glanced at him and then to Riddlemouth.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:13 pm
The male laughed and brought his paw back under him. He hadn't been suggesting that, offering that, or ordering that- it was just a comment said in jest. However, it seemed that the idea had been on Magpie's mind, at least recently. She seemed eager to leap on the possibility. "Well if you take my jest seriously, perhaps that would be the best way to mend this. Iron-pawed Riddlemouth ordering his two rebels to fatten our lovely head merchant up."
He bobbed his shoulders. "It is not a command or even a suggestion. If you choose to do so, then I'll consider justice served. You, Magpie, having to carry the weight of a litter and you, Renaissance, having to spend your precious time courting a lady."
Poor Leo. If it was possible for lions to blush he would have been red from head to toe. As it was the lion looked both hunted and haunted as all eyes turned on him. All the sudden he wished he was a dormouse. Small, insignificant, and not present within the cave.
"...this is not exactly a romantic or even a...tactful way of going about such a proposition." He pointed out, speaking through a suddenly very dry mouth.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 4:35 pm
Magpie tilted her head lightly. "What way to get merchants in the pride faster then to get the head merchant into the mind of bearing cubs?" She sighed a little and said completely honestly. "And it is a wish to someday be a mother. My old pride married adolescents in for breeding. I am not far from my adolescent stage, however I am long past the usual tradition of my heritage." Magpie wasn't cold to the idea.
"However personally. I don't mean to force anyone into this. For I have not found the one I hold an affection so high to consider a mate. Or future father.." She'd though shortly glance to Leo. Magpie had this affection since she caught him. But she was good at hiding it. Her face morphed into a merchant's when she'd look back to Riddlemouth. In this stage, not even he could possibly read her. She didn't want to make anything awkward for Renaissance. He had been there so far for her. Always having her back.
"However Leo and I did something that even Masters like myself shouldn't have. We both spoke the king down, and the now present queen." Though Magpie had the right at that moment. They were both masters, she and the firey youth. "So if that is a way to allow me to keep my Masters rank and uphold a.. Personal tradition.. You can decide of that is my punishment for touching on that subject. And I'll allow you to make the decision of fathering my cubs." She'd say the last part looking towards Leo. "If I had asked you romantically you'd shoot me down out of the sky. I am sure of it. Even if I walk in your shadows and even if some day we consider each other mates.. You wouldn't consider a relationship between us." There was a small twang of pain in her last statement. But she straightened herself out.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:00 pm
Leo wanted to put his head in a hole. "I... I really don't think that's what... he was... oh heavens." He brought a paw to his face and shook his head. That's not what Shandor was saying. Or... he hoped not. Romance was one of the few things that he had avoided learning about. It meant getting involved... it meant a lot of time dedicated to something that he just never really found much use for. He liked companionship, he understood love between friends, and read about the love shared by males and females but it wasn't something that he could find being practical.
He glanced over to Magpie and cleared his throat. It was a fair statement from Magpie. He would have evaded the question outright. A small part of him wondered if this had been an elaborate set-up. He wouldn't doubt it.
"Perhaps this is something we can discuss in private..."
"Oh well then." Shandor got up to his paws and padded across the floor of his den. How very amusing- poor Magpie. So she had eyes for the aloof alchemist. It was unfortunate but perhaps his nudge would be enough to open the dialogue between them.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:23 pm
Magpie looked at Leo dead straight. "He said little ones in one's stomach. When he considered what happened between you and Siren." She sighed lightly.
"I went against his word. I walked in front of his pride and told Loudmouth outright I wasn't going to follow his word." She breathed out and shook her head. "Pardon me Leo.." She paused and then went to get up.
"I have made a fool of myself again in front of two lions that mean a lot to me." She closed her eyes. Rocking a little to the side before beginning to leave.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 8:51 pm
The lion sighed, rose to his paws, and stepped between Magpie and the exit. His eyes were heavy and his eyes filled with guilt. "Real virtue is the ability to speak the truth when it's the hardest. We did nothing wrong. And if we did, the two of us questioned him so the two of us share the blame."
He cleared his throat. "...Magpie I am not an old lion but I am not exactly getting any younger. I have made it very obvious that I am not... one for romantic relations in any form. However... the thought has crossed my mind a time or two that...perhaps I should try something at...least once."
He glanced up, though it pained him to do so. "If you are...wanting cubs I would...not object to assisting in that. And raising them. But I will not have it said that we did it out of guilt or punishment. More... because two lions fascinate and comfort each other."
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 10:23 pm
Magpie looked up at the lion and her eyes followed his form. Lowering her head lightly. "Lewenharto.. I do not want to force you into anything." Her eyes lifted kindly though. "You've been anything but an enemy to me. If it wasn't for Riddlemouth I wouldn't have a home." Magpie knew she could confide in Leo. She had told him everything.
When he suggested that he had a fascination in her she allowed her hollow greys to lighten. Her head raised. "That is all what a relationship is Leo. I would never.. Force you to do something against your will. That is why I gave you the decision.. I would just not want my antics.. To be against your ways."
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 10:46 pm
"And if it wasn't for you, I would be homeless as well." He reminded her. "Even if you tossed a rope around my neck to bring me here. The way I see it, there's nothing that happens without reason."
It was frightening. He'd never even considered any sort of relationship. What he understood of...such things had terrified him. It hurt the females. It drove the males into a blind state almost. It made the females weak for months, tired afterwards...and he had never been around cubs. But...this was something she had considered. She had wanted. And looking back, she had eluded to in her own way.
The male smiled shyly and took another step forward. He licked along the side of her face. "Then I choose you this once, Fiedel."
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 6:13 pm
She chuckled. "I considered you a valuable possession in the time I had you tied to me." Magpie wasn't crazy, not at all.
Her eyes followed him and then her eye closed as his tongue passed by it. "Leo, I wouldn't let any other this close to me. I have given you my name, and my trust. I accept your differences on love. Relationships. They are a puzzle I feel your life is not dedicated to. I will never get in the way of your work. For I love you and everything that you do. But you are a mortal." Her eye would open.
"Love is just natural. I gather this is why it is a very bumpy and unforeseen adventure for you... But I thank you.. Truly."
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