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 Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:00 pm
Shiva would have tried to escape as the stranger circled around and padded confidently towards where she lay, if only she could move! Every muscle was drained literally to the point of immobilization and her side rose and fell with each painful drag of breath into burning lungs. Granted her labored panting seemed slightly strained beneath the sudden, burdening weight of a large, dark paw. She would have shoved it off, if she had the energy. Ironically, there seemed to be a lot of things Shiva would have done, if she hadn't run herself ragged.
Staring up at him with those wide, lavender hues, Shiva realized for the first time that there had been another in her pride who was similar to this lion. It wasn't his coloring or even his personality that was familiar, but simply the distant look of him. As if they had come from the same place, though having a happily sheltered cubhood in the Ukuucha'Wafalme which was--in itself--a rather secluded place Shiva knew nothing of the desert pride these boys hailed from. And damnit all if he wasn't staring down his nose at her with that condescending look of superiority. It was a gaze she knew all too well, though until this moment it had been the feisty lioness giving that all-too-familiar leer.
Waiting until she was able to speak without rasping, Shiva puffed at him indignantly. Apparently, her exhaustion hadn't made it all the way to that sassy mouth as she spoke. Well. Mwali.. soldier of.. whatever that is. I can't help but wonder if you make it a habit to torture cute, little lionesses like me?
She emphasized the word as if to make it clear to the male that she was not a cub as he suspected, though given the difference in their size it wasn't hard to see why he might have thought such. Curse O'tep's tiny genes!
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Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:07 pm
The towering male snorted almost derisively. "That mouth of yours is offensive enough to wear down solid rock. If you don't want to be 'picked on' then might I suggest learning to keep it SHUT?" He threw back in her face, but didn't look impressed as he scrutinized her, looking her over with a leisurely glance. He didn't seem to mind her dismissive manner in addressing his pride since it just meant she must be from far away, and she was young besides. Either she'd been sheltered her whole life or there were indeed pride's on the far end of the land away from theirs that had not heard of them. "Hardly." He finally seemed to assess, in regards to her claims of adulthood. "The lionesses that I'm accustomed to at least have the strength or stamina to back up their insults."
Exhausted or not, even the old storyteller, Ripuka, had gone down fighting until she had been completely crippled, and she'd been fighting with a bad shoulder, an injury from her encounter with the captain of the guard on the day of the rebellion. His mother, Ursa, told that story as part of their history lessons.
"They also wouldn't have been caught losing their stolen meal to a couple of lounge lizards." He jeered, not letting her go. He wouldn't, either, until she either relented to his demand for respect, or indicated that she was in SOME way remorseful, so they might just be there for a while. Also, yes, he had been aware that the meal wasn't likely hers in the first place, yes, he fully intended to let her see that he knew that, and no, he didn't have any qualms with rubbing it in. If it had been him and Adara had witnessed such a shameful display she might have even tried to kick him out of the Firekin right then and there! Points for effort and guts, but not much else.
Oh well, at least this was more interesting than sitting around on a bolder soaking up sun and wondering how much longer he was going to torture himself in these annoying lands where everyone lacked any semblance of spine.
He was curious, and intended to ask her soon what it was that she had referred to him as-- rather, what she'd suggested she might have shown some respect for. A Pad, was it?
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:04 am
That sounds far more impressive than it really is. Have you ever watched rock weather? Shiva assured Mwali, unable to help the grin that teased the edges of her maw in response to that disdainful expression. Truthfully, she couldn't say what it was about this situation that amused her, perhaps it was the fact that she--such a pathetic, little waif such as he accused her of being--had gotten under the fur of a heroic, macho lion like him. Pulling in a shallow breath to stagger the pain that throbbed through the length of her shoulder, intensifying with every moment Mwali bared down on her. Albeit, Shiva was aware enough to acknowledge that she bared only a small fraction of the irritated firekin's weight.
It seemed unlikely that this fierce male would have likely showed her any sympathy had he known that she had been injured during a heavy rain storm. When a stray antelope, running for cover had crashed into her and sent the thrashing pair tumbling into a ravine where the beast had proceeded to trample Shiva in its effort to escape the steep sided gulch. Not that she had considered, even for a moment, of telling him and beseeching to the soldier's sense of charity. However, that didn't mean she was about to descend into silence as he seemed to suggest she should, uncertain of exactly how this rather unreasonable male expected to hold a conversation with her if she wasn't permitted to speak. Perhaps she should have been waiting for a cue?
Waiting, rather impatiently, until Mwali was quite done raking his eyes over her in a way that made her feel surprisingly uncertain of herself. A sensation Shiva found herself at odds with given her over abundant confidence in her appearance. Bringing her back to an uncomfortable memory of the pad she had run away from. Whatever he saw, he didn't seem to approve and the kajira all at once felt violated in a painfully personal way. Fighting to keep her head above water, his captive refused to succumb to the drowning fear of self-doubt listening to him speak with such high regard for the lionesses he had apparently left behind. Indignation finding its way to creep back into her voice, if anyone had chosen to sling mud this stranger would have been the first convicted. He'd hardly given her much time for insults and thus far Shiva had done little more than refuse to show gratitude for the help he had insisted she needed. If you have that much pride for your females back home, why the hell aren't you with them?
It seemed as good a question as any in the moment and honestly, she would have done anything to avoid the topic of the lost, stolen meal. Who knew they'd come up out of the water like that? Plush, white ears pinned sourly against her head, revealing the powder blue circles that painted the back of them--like a cobra's hood.
[ Sorry for the delay on this, bad blood at home. Almost strangled someone and needed to take a day away from everything. ]
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:17 pm
((I sent you an email, but again I hope things turn out better today/tomorrow. x: ))
Mwali actually chuckled, somewhat dark, but his mood was improving, just a tiny bit. Had he known she felt insulted he would have dismissively commented that he was merely stating factual truth, and that she was also welcome to continue as she wished, so long as she was ready to deal with the consequences in that case.
"I might ask why you're out here yourself. It's painfully obvious that you don't belong." He managed to say it in a way that it didn't sound very flattering, quirking an eyebrow at her.
Why was he out there? Mwali himself didn't know, so he couldn't tell her. He knew that something was calling to him, but... what? He wouldn't waste words trying to explain when he didn't have an answer, however, he could at least say what made him leave, even if not why he had yet to return.
"I grew weary of the mundane. I saw little point in being content to stay in our corner of the world when I could see for myself where hopeful pride members came from. So far, I'm not impressed."
And here he shot her an outright bored expression, as if he were talking about her instead of their surroundings.
"What is this 'pad' you spoke of?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:04 pm
[ Thanks hun. Things are better than yesterday at least thankfully. Sorry last post sucked so bad. I apparently fail at writing when I'm in a bad mood. xD; But I wanted to punch through it since I was having such a hard time with it. ]
Startled by the sound of his amusement, it possessed an underlying warmth that took the youth by surprise, Shiva had expected only malice and intimidation from the likes of this one. They were traits that she was able to handle, things she expected. Who was this budding new stranger? I... out here is as good a place as any.
Disarmed by him, her recovery was slow and the answer she conjured in her staggering a bold, blatant lie. It was a reflex. A defensive, deflecting sort of answer, because she wasn't yet ready to admit the truth. To herself, let alone anyone else. Surprisingly, Mwali's answer was far more honest causing those bold eyes avert awkwardly. Having the decency to feel ashamed of the secret she kept close, granted it wasn't long before Shiva was distracted again by one of his off-pawed comments. How easily he slipped them in and how easily she felt the bite of each one. Pretty little maw jerking towards him as she mused dryly, trying hard to act as unimpressed with him as he evidently seemed to be with her. I've never had any complaints, but perhaps your tastes run towards the more unconventional.. perhaps a leopard might sate your wandering eye?
It might have been a heartfelt suggestion if not for the humor in her tone, as if the very thought of him with a leopard brought her to tears of hilarity. The only thing to sober her was the title on his maw, her voice taking on a gentle fondness for the first time since they met as she explained, not thinking for even a moment that her answer might have lead to further questions about her pride. A Pad... it's the title the lions in my pride take when they have completed their coming of age ceremony. They're the warriors, guardians and protectors of our pride. More importantly... they're.. they protect us.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:45 pm
((I'm glad things worked out some. <3 No worries, I didn't think it sucked at all, myself, but moods can leave a sour after taste in RP, I know. > >; ))
Out here, as good a place as any? Huh, no, no, he certainly didn't think so. If she were anything like him with the pride he felt for his home-- which she proved a few moments later when answering his question --then no place was ever as good as home unless it became your new HOME and not just a place of residence. Least of all places qualified enough to be "as good as" home, or even "any" was this squalid, rogue riddled cesspool.
He finally moved his paw, planning to simply pin her again if she found enough of a second wind to try running off on him a second time.
"Hardly," Mwali snorted with a light shake of his head, settling down to sit. "little more respectable than cheetahs, the lot of them." The image of himself with a leopard sent a revolted shudder down his spine. Well, the females were excuseable, but a male without a mane was just a ridiculous sight to him, having grown up around his own kind and never seeing anything larger than a snake or dessert avian in terms of other predators. One of his uncles had been claimed by buzzards, even those mangy scavengers had some semblance of a "mane", hardly, but still.
"You already said protectors. They sound more like lovers." He observed, noticing the way that her entire mood shifted-- hell, LIFTED --when she spoke of them. "Males only, then. What of the females? Are they not warriors or protectors as well?" What a foreign concept... though having seen several females that didn't do battle-- primarily water seekers --and no males that wouldn't do battle, that made more sense than that pride that their captain of defense said she'd come from. Ridiculous, from a Firekin's perspective, females running everything, with males as slaves? Disgraceful. Her home had him intrigued. An outsider's home had actually piqued his interest. That was a first.
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 11:58 pm
[ xD You're just being nice. It was pretty terrible! Luckily I'm happier with the post that followed. ]
An amused sort of expression accompanying the quirk of her head to one side at the way Mwali grimaced at the suggestion of a lesser feline. In a pride where she was accustomed to all manner of predators from lions to hybrids, she found herself unable to disagree with his distaste. Shiva cared little for what went on in the dens of other Banu and their Pads, but she had never found leopards or cheetahs as physically appealing as the males of her own kind. It was only too bad the conversation continued to stray to discussion of the Ukuucha'Wafalme, not that the lioness didn't feel a swelling sense of pride that the male had taken such interest in her homelands. It was a bitter-sweet topic these days.
To some, I suppose. Shiva managed to state simply at the mention of Pads being lovers. Truthfully, it was all she could manage without blushing. The females? Well, I suppose it depends on their Pad's wishes. Some are lazy, they would rather see their Banus defend the pride in their place. Others are more protective and choose only to let their Banus take on the task of looking after their cubs. It's different from harem to harem. Most commonly the Banus care for their Pad's cubs. Keep the den clean. Hunt together under the direction of the Beybanu to feed their collective cubs and Pad... that sort of thing.
Lavender hues had wandered listlessly off into the distant horizon as if picturing the pride she described so vividly. Small shoulder blades pinching tightly together against the heartbreak of her memories. She wondered, for what good it was worth, if the pain would ever go away. If she would eventually grow numb in these lands that reeked of loneliness and despair. Quickly snapping back to glance at Mwali expectantly. Having lived in the U'W all her life, it was a strange idea to think that there were others who lived differently. Is it not that way, where you come from?
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:19 pm
"Ridiculous." He snorted at the prospect of taking multiple mates, just to make them do all the work as well and focus on raising the cubs on top of that. True, he was no cub sitter, but any true male would at least take responsibility of protection and rearing for the offspring he'd helped create. Their pride wouldn't even hear of anything less. To each their own, however annoying their own might be. It was for certain that he'd never be any such pad if he were to be one. "It's not. There was a time when slaves were kept, but the Regents made quick to ban such a ridiculous notion after the rebellion. Relying on the strength of others while simultaneously earning their ill will is foolish business."
And he wasn't foolish. He knew there were those that had not just once harbored the idea of returning to the pride's "glory" days, slaves and all.
"We've cub sitters, male and female alike can fill the position, but every lion in the pride is expected to pull their weight. None have taken more than one mate. My grandfather apparently tried once and nearly lost both to show for it. As I said, our females are certainly not the submissive sort, but we like it that way. The few that are are only so by their calm natures... My mother is one, all black, with fire only in her eyes, it suits her." He thought to how she was normally so calm, but prone to frightening bouts of anger when pushed too far. She wasn't abusive, hardly, but as opposed to his father, all red, right down to his eyes, and all energy and temper and competitive spirit and pride. "We're a desert pride, only those with fire in their coats and that can best our guards and soldiers are allowed to join our ranks."
He paused, settling in a sphinx like fashion with his paws crossed and eyes closing for a moment as he tried to picture what she described.
"I can see the logic in having cub sitters among these... harems, but--" His eyes opened again to frown at her. "--what self respecting male contents himself to be cared for all day like a cub himself? And your females, these banu, they're submissive to the males?"
It had missed him, for a moment at first, that the banu were actually so... tamed, so submissive that they didn't simply rise up in protest! It was taking a bit to wrap his mind around the concept, not because he disagreed, but simply because it was so bizarre! It was as bizarre to him as it must be to her to hear of a pride where not only did females roam freely, fight, talk back to males, and have equal voice, but sometimes even managed to boss the males.
"Uuo would have a litter on the spot if she heard any of this. You, however, clearly miss it. How did you come to be out here anyway?" He quipped, but his curiosity had been adequately piqued.
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 11:04 pm
Ridiculous?! The lively little female bristled with surprise, barely able to contain the edge of contempt that slithered into her voice towards anyone who would express such derision towards her beloved homelands. Shiva was on her paws in an instant as if prepared to defend the honor of her pride in battle. As absurd as such an idea was. How dare you! I thought you might have some class, but apparently I was wrong! Are all your kind as tactless and brutish as you?
She paused if only to gain more ammunition for her fight. This time it was her turn to sneeze in bland amusement at the tale of his grandfather who had tried and failed to possess two females at once. Apparently your grandfather was no kind of a male. The Pads in my lands can hold down several Banus at once. It's no easy feat to appease so many.
Strange that, for a virginal, young lioness, Shiva could give Mwali such a sultry, even heated glance. As if she knew anything about the topic other than the fundamentals of how it all worked physically. Satisfied that she had aptly dug her claws in, the petite kajira settled into a far less comfortable looking sit. Interjecting as she felt was necessary. Our Pads care for our cubs. They train their sons in their image.. granted sometimes it would be better if they chose to train their sons in the image of a far more upstanding Pad, but what can you do?
It crossed her mind once to note that, as he had described her, Mwali obviously took after his mother in appearance, though she said nothing of it. Simply watching him in his regal pose, lain upon the ground and looking like a king. Far more impressive in stature than even the Sultan of the Ukuucha'Wafalme or that ridiculous hairball who called himself a God. Maw suddenly pinching into a frown to realize she was physically attracted to him despite all his neanderthal-like ways.
Listening to the fairytale whimsy of Mwali's pride, she considered the details with more bemusement than anything else. Members of the pride could only be of a certain color? What on earth was the point of that? Granted this male in particular didn't seem to fix the mold of his pride exactly, but they still sounded too much a closed-minded sort. Perhaps that's why it seemed so difficult for the soldier to wrap his mind around the ways of the Ukuucha. Sighing softly as if exasperated by her companion. Of course they are, some Banus are more readily submissive than others, they're a stone a dozen and require no skill of a Pad to obtain and control, but others.
She paused, thinking of the stories of her mother and father and their epic of entwined fates. Shiva's father was an impressive specimen. Far more upscale than most as if such weren't obvious by his station in the pride, but even he had been challenged by the rebellious nature of her mother. Other females of high quality require a truly exceptional Pad. My father, the Vizier Tariq'r'ad has always expected his daughters to excel in their duties so that he could proudly give us away to Pads worthy of us. Those, born of his beybanu especially are not over looked. Given our lineage it's only expected that we set an example for others of how a proper female should behave. Not like some unruly, mannerless kaji--ji..
Shiva choked on the term of disgrace and suddenly fell uncomfortably silent, allowing Mwali to see without need for words a little more deeply into the youth's troubling predicament. Quietly, dainty paws lifted the weight of her frame into a guarded stance, head carried proudly and spine straight. A clipped and angry answer passing over her shoulder as once more the tiger-striped lioness attempted to escape her companion. Unfortunately, she wasn't as irritated with him as she might have liked to pretend. It had been nice to find some half-decent company. To sit and happily reminisce for a while with a sense of sweet sorrow, but truthfully how much longer would she survive in this place with her head lost in the past? Pining for what could never be. What business is it of yours how or why I ended up out here? Even if I told you, would you really care or is it just something to pass the time for you? Hell.. I wish people would keep their noses out of my business.
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 11:29 pm
Unlike the last time, though the situation was going similarly overall, Mwali didn't seem to be getting riled in the least. He watched her with an almost bored, but tolerating expression, eyebrows raised but eyelids almost half lowered as if to express skepticism in her very indignation.
Oh he didn't doubt for a moment that he had injured her pride-- pun unintended --but he looked utterly unsurprised by it, even if a touch amused. How he managed to pull off bored, amused, and uninterested but tolerant all at once could only be attributed to observing his parents spats one too many times. They were unnerving at first-- would they split up? Would they actually attack each other? But as he got older they became such common place that he and his siblings would sooner go initiate a game than sit around watching them argue after being pitted against one another for their opposing views in parenting. Rarely did their mother let them get far though, usually shouting sternly for them to freeze and about face.
So usually they just watched. Bored, making bets on how long it would last this time.
It was much the same with Shiva now. All this went through his head as he listened to her tirade, only rising gracefully after to follow along at a relaxed pace. She was interesting, he'd decided, and he would not be deterred now that he had decided that. Deterred from what, he wasn't sure, but maybe this was the something he had set out unknowingly to find.
"Logically there are only two answers to deduce from what you've told me of your home. You either disgraced yourself badly enough as to have to flee for your life rather than face the consequences... or this 'honored pad'--" He said in such a way that underlined the fact that he didn't believe for a second that he was such. "--was so unbearably pathetic that it sent even such a proud banu like you running."
Those really did seem the only possibilities. She was so proud of her home, she spoke with such love for it, why on this disgustingly green earth would she be out here if their ways were so strict on the females, what had she called it? Kajiji? No, Kaji-something. She'd cut herself short. Whatever it was, she had either come close to becoming one or had actually. Those were Mwali's deductions, anyway. It was guesswork, but like he said, from what she told him that was what he gathered.
"So the question is, what are you going to do now that you're out here and not back there?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:16 am
God why? Out of everything she had said it was only that last bit he chose to focus on. The only thing Shiva would have preferred to have avoided. Why were males so unerringly single minded? Wondering to herself with every tentative step that put weight on her wounded shoulder. It occurred to her to realize that there was dusty streak along her side where her pastel pelt had skidded across the ground, but they were already too far to go back to the watering hole now. It really made her realize how much she'd taken advantage of having a water source available to her at all hours of the day and night.
She was trying hard to drown out the sound of Mwali talking as he followed close behind her with her own thoughts. Strangely enough his voice seemed to echo right through her own inner monologue. So, Shiva did the only thing she could think of, suddenly belting out in song as loudly and off key as she could manage, in hopes that he might flee from the awful assault on his ears. Ooohh leave me alone! Stop asking for more! I'm going home on my own, I don't need you anymore! Leave me alone! I'm walking away! Leave me me alone, I'll make it on my own! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:50 pm
"I hope the other banu in your pride sing better than you." Was all he said on the matter of her purposely abrasive attempt at music, almost trailing but keeping pace with his longer strides. As they went they might resemble a procession of two attending a funeral... for Shiva's ability to hold a note.
His ears did rock back in his mane, and he frowned with distaste, but he just snorted, showing no signs of giving up on following her.
Why? He was bored he supposed, and this was more entertaining than pinning her down again. For now.
"I also hope they have better skill at coming up with the words for their music, and the music itself for that matter. That's two points for the first theory, by the way."
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:33 pm
There was a moment where the awful--particularly by Shiva's upscale standards--song ceased, but instead of answering Mwali's glib jeering at her purposefully horrendous crooning the lioness remained silent. Pausing in her slow stride to stare thoughtfully at the position of the golden globe in the sky. It was well past noon by now, given that the violently bright sphere had begun to soften with the haze of dusk that was beginning to blanket the horizon. Shades of wildfire stretching across the endless blue, tainting it with gold and orange, soon night would fall and if she didn't find shelter soon she'd be forced to sleep in the open.
Given her pale coat, the prospect didn't thrill her. More than likely Shiva would be safe from harm if Mwali chose to stick nearby, but the kajira never considered that thought. Banking on his imposing physique to keep her safe was an accident just waiting to happen. Even if he wasn't a rogue, she still wasn't about to trust him. Picking up a brisk, hitching jog towards a distant line of sparsely scattered trees. It certainly wasn't like having the cover of home, but it'd have to do for tonight. Managing only an exhausted sigh at the lion that seemed to be intent on keeping close tabs on her. Noting to him dryly. It'll be dark soon, time for all good, little pride dwellers to be heading home....
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