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 Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 12:33 pm
There was something about the cadence of Mazin's words as he explained slaves in the pride that made her think these were not his words originally, that someone had said them and they had been repeated time and time again. It didn't make the idea of slavery any more palatable.
Aysu's explanation made a bit more sense, but Iei wasn't sure what the cousins were trying to communicate with their looks towards each other. Clearly this was a weighted issue. Though the rogue's unspoken questions were soon answered as the two came around to the timing of their births and what it meant in this pride.
Iei swallowed the words that were her first reaction - why did they put up with this, why did they believe that they were inferior just because of the moon phase they were born under? She had a feeling that it would be a bad idea, with these two at this time. They clearly were at least resigned to their positions, if they didn't believe entirely in the rightness of their religion.
"That seems...very restrictive," was all she said in response. What else could she say that would be honest and unoffensive?
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 12:45 pm
"It's the way things are," Aysu said simply, offering a smile. The only reason she had any sour feelings toward the class system now was because of what happened with Mazin and Selene but that wasn't anything to do with the rightness or wrongness of the system itself, only how it was handled.
"We all do generally get along together," he said, deciding to fill the pause with some encouragement that would be most effective coming from him as he was in the low class, "Everybody is nice enough to each other until you run into someone from a higher class that has let it get to their head, but that's uncommon."
"It was complicated recently because our shaman went missing and it sent everybody into a panic," Aysu continued her previous thought, recalling that her word choice before might have influenced Iei's general opinion, "Some became concerned we were being too relaxed with interactions between the higher and lower classes, which might not have been so dramatic had the heiress not had eyes for a slave."
Stubbornly, she managed not to even glance at Mazin or give any indication that it might have been him.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 12:55 pm
Iei could feel her eyes growing wide as Mazin and Aysu continued detailing recent events and old problems. Why in the world would anyone want to live in a pride like this.
"That's...insane!" was all she could manage to say in response.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:18 pm
Aysu was getting the feeling that Iei was not very open-minded, but even some pride members considered it ridiculous that it was such a big deal that the heiress almost married a slave.
"The full story is much more complex, it's not as insane as it might sound to you but I can assure you not everybody agrees that it would have been a problem," she said, "When you take a mate, the couple takes the class of the female. Technically it should have been fine but some believed the best match for the future queen of the pride would be someone nearer to her own status, someone already favored by the Great Lion."
"Not to mention it gets tricky when a male is set up to go from the lowest class to the highest," Mazin added, voicing another suspicion he had been subject to over the last few months, though it was the far less common one compared to what Aysu suggested. As long as they were not saying it was him, it was OK to explain all sides of the concept.
"Several important lions left or lost their jobs arguing about this, though," he said, "It wasn't worth the risk for anybody."
It wasn't as simple as Selene not being allowed to marry whoever she wanted, a rogue unfamiliar with the politics of living as a group might think so hearing only the most basic version of the story and while expanding might not help her to accept them, it made him feel better to explain it all. He truly accepted what happened, partly out of guilt over what happened to his mother when she dared to defend him and how his father never really seemed happy anymore.
"You've dropped in just following a tough time," he added, "Don't think we're not happy here, everything is settling back down again."
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:39 pm
Prides were nuts. That was all Ieiunium could conclude. She shook her head at the two lions, trying to understand all they were saying. They were right, she just didn't have the referents to fully understand what they were describing.
"I'll take your word for it," she told Mazin. "But what's the point in saying there's nothing wrong with being a slave if you won't let him mate with the lioness he loves?" In her experience, she treated everyone equally until they proved her wrong. Treating someone as lesser just because of the moon phase they were born under...seemed wrong to her.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:17 pm
This conversation was going in a very bad direction considering they were talking about one of the lions present, even if Iei didn't know that. She could tell that the rogue was not taking to the pride based on what they were saying, and while her opinion was as valid as any, Aysu let herself hypocritically believe she was being narrow minded and judgmental.
"This is the first time it's happened, it was not the right thing to happen now," she said, "The last king stepped down from the throne to marry a slave, it has happened before and it will happen again. The timing was just bad this time."
Mazin only nodded, not trusting himself to speak again. Aysu was saying exactly what he would if he had to speak up again.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:21 pm
Personally, Iei thought that this whole problem wouldn't exist if this pride wasn't so focused on their class system, but it would be exceedingly rude to say that aloud and insult her hosts.
"Like I said, I'll have to take your word for it," she repeated herself.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:27 pm
Hmm, no. For someone so willing to steal some safety for the night, she was being very stubborn.. and not in a good way. The more Aysu thought about it, the crankier she was becoming and the worse off the whole situation would be. She refused, though, to be rude and suggest that Iei shove off if she wasn't going to open her mind and try to understand another perspective.
"Let's go to the waterhole," she said firmly. Going for a walk would give her time to calm down and would give Iei the chance to see how the pride as a whole functioned.
She gave no time for either of them to argue but smiled and turned herself around to lead the way.
Mazin started when Aysu's tone changed to a more forceful one, glancing over to her and shaking his head. He looked to Iei and offered a shrug before turning to follow Aysu with a sigh.
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Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:30 pm
Iei gave a mental shrug and tagged after the two pride members. It would probably not be a good time to remind Aysu that the rogue lioness hadn't actually expressed any interest in joining this or any other pride - she'd just wanted a place to sleep. No more.
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