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 Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:19 am
She was sulking as usual.
Horowai wasn't much of a character really. A tad on the annoying side she was often seen alone and this was what she fought so desperately to change. She didn't realise that her attention seeking behaviour was the main cause of her loneliness. All she knew was that she was often ignored.
So, in an attempt to change that, she was taking up a challenge.
She had crossed the stream where she normally lingered by the falls, and had moved into thicker jungle terrain - not often trod by pride members. (Probably because it was so difficult and only the most small and lithe could fit through). Horowai was of average build and began to realise - perhaps a little too late - that this was going to be a far more difficult task than she had first envisioned.
Ten minutes into her trek, she realised that she had taken up a challenge that was possibly a little too difficult for her to manage. With a growl of angry frustration she lashed out with a paw, cutting vines and forcing herself onwards.
"For crying out loud! Get out of my way!!"
--
Suijin was making his way around the outskirts of the last place he had tracked the pair he had been...stalking. How else would he be able to make their lives miserable if he didn't know where they were? Of course he wasn't entirely sure if they were still in the area. He had seen the brightly colored blue male leave the area more than a few days ago. But she hadn't been with them. It meant that they parted. Interesting.
He didn't have a chance to dwell on those little facts much longer because, as he made his way through the jungle and overgrowth he heard a rather annoyed cry. Arching a brow he turned his head in the direction of the voice. Curiousity getting the better of him he began to pick his way toward it. Surprisingly it wasn't overly difficult for him. He had a rather small build for male and making his way through was a challenge. He loved challenges.
"In a spot of trouble dear?"
He asked when the blue female came into view. A smirk decorated his features as he weaved in and out of the vegatation before pressing his frame lightly against one of the trees.
--
He startled her.
She hadn't expected anyone to be here. This part of the area screamed solitude, a suitable place for a lioness with no friends. Well...maybe one friend...one or two. Hell, did she even know what a friend was?
She turned to face the male, trembling with anger and frustration. He was an odd pelted male, not particularly bright, but certainly not as dull as Panju. In any case she didn't recognise him and she was certainly not in the mood for a male at the moment.
"Even if I was, I shouldn't have thought you could help much." She spat scornfully.
"What are you doing here, Parastar?" She hissed, bristling. "You shouldn't be here and you certainly shouldn't be sneaking up on a gasht like me. Do you know who I am?" Yes...the typical greeting from such a rude lioness.
--
He arched a brow but seemingly unbothered by her rather harsh words. She had quite the temper didn't she? Interesting...all the more interesting. "Really now? I would think I could, I'm quite nimble if I do say so myself." He told her grinning. He'd play with her, get her all riled up. After all he liked fiesty females.
"Parastar? I have no idea what you are talking about." He stated, wondering for a moment if the girl was insane. Then it registered in his mind that she might be a part of a pride. "I do not belong to your pride love, so I can't say I'm a parastar or whatever you called me." He told her pushing off the tree and stepping toward her.
"Can't say I do know. Do you know who -I- am?"
--
Not part of the pride?
An intruder then!
Her whole body seemed to come alive. Her eyes flashed with anger and the fur along her neck, shoulders and spine rippled upwards. Her snarl brought lips up to reveal yellowing, sharp fangs. Clearly she was not afraid of the male - though maybe she should have been, especially since he was not of the pride. Clearly not aware of his place in the world.
"You're a male. An outsider! You're worse than a Parastar. You're worse than...than..." She thought to find the word to describe him but failed.
"Of course I don't know who you are. You're not of the pride. You're not of anything. What would be the point of clogging my brain with useless information - like your name, for instance." She advanced on him, a little tornado just desperate to destroy something.
"I'm a Gasht of the pride. I am sister of the queen of the most brilliant clan." She took another step. "I'd suggest you treat me with more respect."
--
"Maybe I am. Here at least. I'm the prince of my pride." He stated chuckling softly as she tried to be threatening. It didn't affect him at all. Then he cocked a brow as he moved even closer towards her. There wasn't a ton of space for either of them to go without having difficulties. "I wouldn't say my name is entirely useless sugar." He replied almost boredly tacking another pet name onto the end of his sentence.
"Why treat you with respect when you treat me with none?"
He asked trying to push her buttons. Trying to see what made her tick. "Why would I treat you with respect when I do not follow the ideals of the pride. And since you are not queen....well." He trailed off.
--
She growled. Yes he was working out what buttons to press with great precision. She was so angry she didn't even realise how easily she could be manipulated.
"Prince? Prince? That means nothing." She hissed. They were so close now she could have reached out and given him a swipe across the muzzle. But she wouldn't. Physical contact was not often something she indulged in. She preferred using words to hurt someone, to express her feelings. She'd lash out with sharp words, but not with her claws.
"You're a male." She replied. "You deserve no respect. Besides that, you're on pride lands!" Wait...was this necesarily true? Was she passed the border? Well...even if she was she wouldn't let him know that. "I'm guard of this pride, that means that I'm higher up on the rank ladder, rogue." She narrowed her vibrant green eyes.
"What are you sneaking around here for anyway? Spying? Intruding? Do you have a death wish, rogue?"
--
"Then title of sister to the queen means nothing as well." He replied the smirk crossing his lips once again. This was simply fun. Of course he wasn't going to disclose the fact that his pride had disbanded, for now at least. "Am I or have you past them?" He inquired pushing forward again. Maybe he'd back her into the corner, see how she liked being trapped. "Perhaps you are but I won't show you respect." He shrugged. Her pride and ideals meant nothing to him. Nothing at all.
"I simply...was out for a walk." He explained shrugging again. It wasn't a complete lie. He had been out and he had been walking. Just because he was looking for something didn't mean he had to tell her that. "Perhaps I do have a death wish. If I did I'd want you to be the one to do it." He told her grinning. She was interesting. She had a fire within her that made her sparkle. Even if she was brash about it.
"If you want me to respect you and your pride maybe I should know a little bit about it?"
--
She growled.
This male had quite a mouth on him. It was going to land him into trouble one of these days, she'd bet her claws on it. This was the reason why Parastars were better than the ordinary rogue males. They were male, but atleast they knew their place! This one seemed to think he was higher up than she was. Totally not acceptable!
"You want me to end your life?" She was taken aback by that. "That would be dishonourable." She replied, though it was extremely tempting to carry it out. What would the others think of her if she returned to the lands with the head of a rogue in her jaws.
She smiled.
"I couldn't lower myself by killing a male who would not fight back." She snorted. "What fun would that be? There'd be no honour in it. No fame. Anyone could kill someone who wanted to be killed, even a cub!"
She lifted her head and looked at him quizzically. "About my pride? All you need to know is that males know their place. They are the Parastars. Their tasks are quite simply to raise the cubs and to mate with a female if she chooses him. They do not have to accept this, but it would be polite not to."
--
"Perhaps." He replied still grinning rather broadly at her. His grin widened, showing more of his pearly white, sharp teeth. "Now who said I wasn't going to fight back? I just wanted to know if you would give me the honor of killing me if I wanted." An idea was already forming in the jester-like male's mind.
"Is it now. How boring. Being obediant is too much of bothersome thing."
He was rather intreguied by her pride's customs and thoughts about males. Raise cubs? That was a woman's job!
"How about this. We have a nice little fight and whomever wins fufils what the other wants? Whether it's a male to father her children or to leave her lands, or..." He left his possible suggestions up in the air.
--
She looked at him as if he were mad.
"Obedience is everything." She replied. "Everything. That is why you are a poor rogue prince, alone and begging for your life to be ended."
She was naive to the ways of the outside world. The Kunanda pride was her world. Nothing that lived and existed outside of it mattered to her. Her pride and its rules were her life and nothing was more important than that. "In any case, I can't be too mad at you. You weren't brought up in our ways. You wouldn't understand."
She arched a brow and puffed out her chest a little at his next words. "A duel, you mean?" She replied, a thrill of excitement gripping her. "Fine, then. If I win, you have to show me the respect you would show your ruler. You have to dote on my every whim. You have to give me the attention I want. No ignoring me. No walking past as if I'm not even there. Got that?" It didn't matter if that attention was going to last only for today - as he was a rogue and probably not going to be here long. To her, having someone dote on her was everything, even if it was only for an hour or two.
"So, what if you win? Not like that will happen."
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Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:04 am
"Now, now sugar I never begged for anything." He stated thought not bothered by her comments. They were just words. It was his job to taunt others with words. Not the other way around. "A duel, a fight all the same thing really." He told her shrugging. Different names for the same thing. Just a way to make things a little less boring.
"I accept your terms."
He replied with a nod of his head. Not that he would lose. He knew how to handle himself very well in the midst of a battle. "Everytime I wander this way I will dote upon you as though you were a princess." He told her. "But if I win, you'll give me exactly what I want. No matter what it is, whenever we cross each other. And for now, and perhaps the only time, you'll have my children. Do you accept?"
--
Horowai paused, smiling. "Good." To think, she'd have her very own rogue treating her with all the respect she'd ever wanted and deserved! Her heart was pounding with the realisation. Finally, she'd never feel lonely again. Even if he wasn't around, she could keep going on the doting she'd received this day - or any other day he happened past.
Fantastic!
Losing wasn't even in her mind. She would not - could not - lose to this male.
She blinked then as he gave his terms. What? Had she understood him correctly? Did he really mean that? The whole...children birthing thing? Oh no...no...no! Really, seriously? She swallowed back the nervous lump and told herself angrily that it didn't matter because she was going to win.
She was a Kunanda lioness, a mighty Gasht of the Nihang Clan. She could not lose.
"Very well." She replied, though not as confident as she had sounded before. "I accept. But we will not fight here. I need space to work." And with an impatient huff she pushed past him, hoping that she was heading in the direction of the clearing that she'd spotted a little ways back.
--
"Good." He replied grinning. He would win, he knew he would. It was simply the gut feeling he had. The gods were smiling upon him today. "Of course Princess, lead the way." He told her stepping out of her way before following her. By pretending to already be doting upon her then...then perhaps it would lead her to believe that he wouldn't really fight back. That he would lose and he knew it. Then when they began he'd be quick and swift and win.
"Whomever touches the other first wins. Alright?" He asked unsure how how duels went in her pride so he decided that a simple, non-violent way would be the best way.
--
"Yes, fine, fine." She seemed exceptionally pleased of his new nickname for her. Princess. Yes, she rather liked the sound of that. Much better than 'brat' or 'attention seeking little git', which was quite often the names she was called.
In any case, she traced her way back through the jungle and was pleased to see the foliage thinning out. It wasn't the clearing she'd hoped for, but it'd certainly do.
"Agreed. Those rules will suffice." She turned back to him with a smile and took her position on the outside of their new 'dueling arena'.
"When you're ready..."
--
He returned her smile sliding into his own fighting stance. "Whenever you are Princess." He replied quickly keeping his eyes trained upon her ready to use his small, for a male, size and rather quick thinking to easily take her down. He hoped that she would strike first so he could sidestep her and tap her on the nose. Yes that sounded like a rather good idea to him. Quick and easy taking advantage of the other's weaknesses. Something he was very, very good at.
--
She settled into her own stance, low to the ground, her chin hovering just above the jungle floor. She was thinking along the same lines. Quick and sharp. She could do this!
She watched him for a moment, trying to judge how he would move and realising that she really didn't have any idea. This was the problem fighting against an opponent that you didn't know.
In any case, she'd try to get behind him, away from his forepaws which could pin her with ease.
With a deep breathe she put strength into her hindlegs and used them to propel her around the edge of the circle, intent on getting around behind him before he had a chance to turn and stop her.
--
A smirk decorated his lips as he watched her sink low and launch herself. Immediately, as soon as she moved forward, he twisted sideways and back so she got what she wanted. Past and behind him. Of course now she was no longer behind him. Instead he was facing her. Quickly he darted forward, hopefully before she had time to blink, and reached a paw out to tap whatever body part he touched first. He hoped it would be her nose.
As soon as he had reached out his muscles tensed ready to shoot him back if he missed and she struck out at him.
--
Shock slowed her movements. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to call out a curse. She wasn't facing his back like she had intended. She was facing his front, looking into his eyes.
How had that happened?
She saw him darting forward and knew that if she didn't react he was going to be the victor! To think that she could let that happen!
She leapt backwards into the foliage, hoping she would be far enough away that she was out of reach.
It wasn't far enough.
The pads of his paws brushed close to her nose, she felt the touch against her whiskers and a firmer touch across the side of her muzzle.
She was lying back against the foliage, forepaws curled against her chest, her face a picture of shock. Her mouth opened and closed but no sound uttered free.
--
When his paw came in contact with her maw his smirk widened. "Game over Princess. I won." He whispered pressing his body against hers. His maw settled right next to her ear. "Now it's time to fufill the terms of our...agreement." He murmured devilishly. He was going to enjoy this. So very much so. "Don't tell me you're scared are you?"
--
It was all over so fast. Too fast. It wasn't fair! She wasn't ready. He'd cheated somehow, he had to have! He drew close and her whole body tensed. She wasn't afraid, not really. She was just nervous, unsure. Close contact of any sort was not something she was familiar with. Not someone like her who seemed to have a great distance between everyone but her immediate family.
"Scared?" She finally found her voice.
Unsettled by this closeness she lowered her head, pressing the flat of her skull to his chest inan attempt to push him away. "I am a warrior lioness, I'm never scared."
She huffed. "How...how did you do that?"
--
Suijin chuckled as she denied being scared. If she wanted to pretend he would let her. "If you say so princess" He replied continuing to use the little pet name he had deamed hers, just like kitten had been for that other female.
When she moved her head to push him away it only made him press against her harder. If she was trying to escape it wasn't going to happen. Even if she was a warrior. "How did I do that?" He repeated before shrugging. "Skill. I know how to read others, it's what I do. You're like an open book to me." He told her even if it wasn't true. He couldn't really read her completely. But he had been able to during the fight and that was all that matter.
"Outsmarting others is what I do best."
--
She hissed as he refused to let go of her. His closeness itself was a bruise to her pride and she could feel her anger rising like a gathering storm. This was bad enough! Why did he have to rub it in? Her ears pinned to her head as she snarled at him, lips curled to reveal her fangs.
She wouldn't bite him - not yet - but she was oh so tempted to do it and watch the shock flicker in his eyes.
That'd show him.
"You think you're so fantastic, don't you, rogue?" She spat. "Luck. Pure luck. That's all I put it down to. I am known for my unpredictability. It's what I do best." And it was true - to some extent.
"Now." She composed herself. "Are you going to let me go?"
--
"I don't think so. I know." He replied just to annoy her. He had always been the center of attention as a child, even if he didn't want the attention, and whenever he was around anyone he stood in the spotlight. He always made it that way. So to him that meant he was fantastic even if she didn't think so. "Perhaps but then I must be pretty damn lucky. Haven't ever lost a fight. Not yet." He replied smirking. "I'm pretty unpredictable too. I like keeping people on their toes always trying to guess what I'll do next. If I'll try to seduce them or if I simply push their buttons. It's quite a fun game really."
"That depends, are you going to run away?"
He asked in regards to her question. He knew she wouldn't try to run from the deal they made even if she hated it so very much. At least that was what he thought he knew.
--
They were the opposites then. Suijin wanting attention and receiving it. Horowai wanting attention, doing her best to obtain it, but never getting it. She didn't count this as attention because it wasn't the sort of attention she wanted. She wanted someone to look up to her, to admire her for her skills and honour. She wanted to be a role-model, a symbol of what her pride stood for.
All she was, was a joke.
At his words she simply wrinkled her nose, eyes narrowing. Was he just teasing or was he really that good? She didn't want to think that he was so good at reading people he'd be unable to lose a fight.
"Push their buttons." She muttered under her breath. Well, she'd sure let him do that.
"I will not run away." She snapped, visibly hurt by his words. "I am honour bound to do this thing. I do not like it, so don't even dare think I do. But, I have been brought up in honour. I accepted your terms and I will abide by them." She forced her body to unwind slightly, realising how tense she was.
"Will you lead the way, then?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:23 am
He frowned when he saw that his question had hurt her. Mentally he shook his head, he wasn't supposed to feel sorry for her or bad at all! No he was getting what he wanted and if she was upset, well then it sucked for her. "I didn't think you would princess. But one could never be sure. After all you said you were unpredictable." He pointed out trying to shake her upsetness from his mind. "Good."
When she told him to lead the way he stepped back from her, with just enough room that they were no longer touching. If she did try to run he was sure he could catch her. His rather small frame and experience with the jungle and the way the vegitation grew within it he was sure he could catch her if she tried to run. "This way." He was going to lead her to a clearing a little farther away so that they wouldn't be interupted. After all that would be such a shame. Not that he would really stop.
--
With a grunt she shifted onto all fours and let her sharp eyes focus on him. Well, she thought grimly to herself, it could have been worse. He could have been a normal looking lion with nothing but the shades of brown or grey. At least he had an unusual shade of fur - a pale blue that reminded her of stormy skies.
But, she told herself, that didn't make this any easier.
Quietly, she moved in the direction he had indicated, following at his flank. She was afraid, now. In fact she was starting to feel a little light-headed - faint almost. But she wouldn't allow herself to back down. She'd gotten herself into this. She'd agreed to this...this act. Now she had to face it. Horowai often made mistakes but she always met her toh. Yes, he was a male rogue, not bound by their rules and traditions, but those traditions were in Horowai's blood. She could not just discard them for a rogue.
It was not her way.
So she followed him, doing her best to push away her fear.
/fin.
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