|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:57 pm
AIM Log -- Krysin & Felyn
Katiti'Manina & Niruzu Katiti'manina did not know why she bothered some of these days. She had been laying on a small rounded hill long enough for the sun to have reached its peak in the sky. Some times she really had to doubt the value of her visions, but they usually brought her fortune over misfortune, and she had a few hours to kill. Her bright blue eyes had been transfixed, for part of the time, on some of her more intimately favored treasures. Gone was her juvenile affection for blue and gold, and now she found that she loved the combination of black and red, highlighted with just the smallest hints of glistening gold. Everyone called her vain, and she did nothing to prove them otherwise.
They also called her a thief.
...and that wasn't untrue either. She still held strictly to the 'Finders Keepers' belief. If you left it alone, it was going to be her's. Most of her collection had either been long lost or long forgotten. For now, it was one of those rare moments when she wasn't covered head to tail in jewelry. The only time it ever happened was, well, when she was picking out something new to wear.
Her brows scrunched together critically, eyeing the horizon and waiting for that something to arrive. She had a suspicion it wasn't going to be like her usual daily haul. No, this was living, and she hated it when her visions acted this way. Perhaps she was just too used to doing whatever they guided her into doing, because otherwise she would not have bothered. "This is becoming a major waste of my time," she mused, grabbing a dark bracelet and sliding it high up her left leg.Niruzu had been through many things in the immediate past - he had lost a mate, lost track of his cubs, found strange comfort in a goddess, and the strangest of all, a father-figure in a male whose one goal in life had once been to castrate him. Oh, what a twisted life he led. To top it all off, he found himself belonging to a pride, though he suspected he had been roped into that mostly because Moo had gotten tangled up with that scowling female. The cubs were cute, he supposed, but they made his heart ache a bit every time he saw them.
That was probably why he didn't mind, at least deep down beneath all his outward bitching, going out on this little trek for the queen. The numbers of the pride were low, and she liked to maintain a constant guard on the borders, mostly to make sure no one snuck in, but also to see if anyone had come searching for him. Niruzu was pretty sure that blue bloke was right - they weren't going to find new members without going to search for them. He, however, wasn't about to volunteer and instead he just did what he was damn well told.
At this point, he was sure he was a bit past the Outlands' borders, in the small lands inbetween it and the pride they loathed so much. His scruffy mane wavered with each step, his head held high, but only because he knew he had to be alert. He didn't know how this other pride felt about Outlanders, but if it was half as violent as Outlanders felt about them, he didn't want to be taken by surprise. That's when he saw the red on the distance of his vision, growing closer with every step his path took him. It wasn't until he got close that he realized it was a lioness and by then, well, she would have seen him. Thus, he simply stopped, narrowing his eyes. He really wasn't one to speak up first....Seriously?
She hated whichever god was behind her being a seer, for making her waste her time waiting for an unappealing lion who happened to be late. Her blue eyes narrowed as she saw him in the distance, watching his slow, unknowing approach. Yes, this was a waste of her time, but she figured that she had nothing else to do. Disinterested for the time being while his form slowly grew bigger in the distance, she returned her attention to her collection of jewelry. On went the chain of necklaces, the assortment of bracelets and rings. She twined a some assorted jewelry into her tail. Kat knew where each piece belonged, where it would look best on her, and soon enough she was covered from head to tail in rich jewelry.
Was she showing off? No, she just didn't want him stealing her stuff if that was what he came here to do. Her blue eyes flickered up to him, watching him stop and stare at her. How annoying, he was going to make her do everything for him. It was time to trade her visions in for a normal life, if that was remotely possible. With a petite frown, she stretched her front limbs out, working off the kinks in her back before she stood. She was a large lioness, bold in black and red, but she moved with grace. She only bothered herself with taking a few steps forward, enough for him to know that she was going to engage him in conversation.
"You're late," she accused, blue eyes giving him a flat stare.
He was from the Outlands, she knew from the direction he had came in, but she didn't seem bothered by it. Frankly, she didn't care where he came from, only why he was here and why he had been in one of her visions. It was probably some stupid reason, and that would make her grouchy and irritable. "If you're going to have me waiting here for you, the least you could do is have a little decency and be on time, sugar."Great, the lioness was going to talk, he could tell as soon as she started to get up. By her demeanor, and the fact that she was covered from head to foot in an obscene amount of jewelry, he was willing to be she was more than a little vain and twice as cocky. Once she got closer, a light grimace tugged at the corner of his maw - not only was she pretty (hell, he knew when to admit that in a female) but she was damn near almost bigger than he was. He was a small rogue, malnourished in his youth and paying the price in growth.
"What?" he said with a quirk of one brow, eying her as she spoke. He didn't move, just merely stood there, though his eyes did narrow on her slightly. "I didn't make you do a damn thing. If you're here waiting on someone, it sure as hell isn't me, and if it is, you're pretty delusional as far I'm concerned." He didn't know why anyone, especially a stranger, would wait for him. What did he have to offer?
He snorted, shaking his head and sending his mane tossing. It was easy to tell that he might have been attractive, if he wasn't so scruffy, if he hadn't been so malnourished. As it was, he was just gnarled, like he was still living on leftovers. The fact that he and Moo had had a long journey probably didn't help, and in a while, he might actually regain some semblence of his lost attractiveness - he was in a pride for the first time in his life, after all.There were some attractive qualities about the lion, but she had to admit he looked a sight better in her vision than he did right now. She did favor the lovely yellow and gold accents on his white coat, cleverly lined with black. If a lion could pick what they were born with, he had good taste. As it were, he was just lucky. He was small and what she would define as 'scrawny'. He could have done better with some of her jewelry, but she didn't share, especially to someone who couldn't bother to be on time to a meeting.
Oh, and he was stupid, too. With a pained sigh, she sat down in front of him, jewelry clinking together softly as she curled her tail against her leg. "Of course, take it out on the lioness who was here on time, waiting for you to get your gnarled a** in gear," she retorted. It all made sense to her, but she didn't choose to enlighten him. She was here because of her vision, and he was here as well. They were supposed to meet, and when whatever needed to be done was done, she could be on her way again to live her life, unplagued by crotchety lions.
"So, why are you here, Outlander? And hurry it up, baby, I don't want to continue wasting my time." Well, she was just going to cut to the chase and get this over with. It wasn't like she did not like him, she supposed he would be okay if he actually managed to be prompt for once in his life. But, as it was, she had spent too much time near this gods-be-cursed hill. It was better than helping her parents with their new, outrageously large litter, but she still could do plenty of better things with her time.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:00 pm
He simply snorted as she babbled on, yet again, about things that didn't help to change his opinion of her being deluded. How the hell did she know he was going to be here? He supposed maybe she was one of those odd sorts that he had heard tales about, but in all honesty, he was pretty convinced that's all that sort of thing was - stupid tales. Of course, that still didn't explain why she said she was apparently waiting for him - maybe the heat was getting to her head.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm walking the borders for the queen. Right paranoid bunch, the Outlanders," he shrugged his shoulders, though he did toss a quick glance over one as if he expected Ashiki to rise up at any moment and slap him across the face with a paw of claws. Her or Moo's squeeze, maybe; he wasn't sure which he feared more.
"Which I suppose should mean I should ask what you're doing here, but you say you were waiting for me, and that's about all the answer I need," he shook his head in disbelief, watching her with the bright yellow eyes. "The queen wants me to bring anyone on the lands to her, so I suppose you're lucky you're not any closer than this."
He was walking the borders? She didn't think she was that terribly close to the borders, but then again, she could smell the scent of the Pridelands fading. It had never bothered her, because she went where she pleased. Maybe she was just stuck in a perpetual rebellious teenage stage. The Outlands, though, had never held much of an interest for her. She was more intrigued by the roguelands, and imagined that the Outlands were just a bunch of old and paranoid lions. The idea did entertain her, though. Niruzu certainly fit the description. If he was any more unattractive, she would have had to walk away from sheer disgust.
"You seem to be more in the Pridelands than on the border of the Outlands, baby. You should scurry back home to your termite mounds." She made a shooing motion with her paw, a satisfied smirk upon her face. The gold reflected just briefly off of the sun, and she was proud of herself for that. Kat couldn't stress enough how practiced she was with her jewelry, and she knew for a fact how to decorate herself to her pleasure. Not everyone had her sense of style, and one day she was really going to have to change that.
She snorted, amused by his next comment. "Sugar, you couldn't force me anywhere I didn't want to go. You're kind of scrawny, baby." Her ears flicked back, her smile widening ever-so slightly. Oh, he was amusing her. Maybe waiting around for him was worth it. "I wouldn't have tacked you for someone who listens to what they're told to do, because you obviously didn't get here on time when you were supposed to. You're fortunate I waited around for you." Why was he fortunate? She frankly did not know, nor cared much.
He frowned and shook his head. "This land is inbetween, which means it no more belongs to your pride than it does mine, so I won't be scurrying back anywhere until I've done what the queen wants." What was that exactly? Catch any wandering cubs, persuade any adults? Sweet talk some ladies? Hell if he knew, all he knew was that she wanted the population back up and short of whoring her pride members out, she would probably stop at nothing. They had a strange sense of honor, he supposed, what with marriage and all.
Her next comment made him grit his teeth a bit, thinking of growling at her for good effect. What would that accomplish, though? Instead, he simply nodded in agreement with a simple choice of words following: "Yeah, you're right, you're pretty large." It could be taken any way she wanted it, but in the end, she was just a big lioness. If she was going to insult him, he'd insult her right back - not that he found her largeness that unappealing, really. "You should be careful though, I'm certainly not the one she normally sends on these little excursions. There are worse things lurking around." Hell, that blue male might be somewhere watching for all he knew.
"I do what I'm told because she's the queen and she has my best interest at heart," he said irritatedly. She was right though, a while back and he would have bucked authority on purpose, no matter whose interest it served. "The pride needs members to survive, and that pride includes me. I don't particularly feel like belonging to a dying land."
Was this what her vision was telling her to do, sit down and listen to the woes of this lion. Could any one possibly whine any more than this guy? Probably, but she usually didn't bother herself with those type of creatures. Still, her vision prevailed, because in the end she remained rooted to the spot. She'd do what it wanted to do, and when she felt as if her necessity for staying here was done and gone, she'd leave. That sounded like a plan, a rather nice one.
She arched a brow at him, pondering if she should take offense to that. In the end she didn't, if only because she could kick his a** he knew it. It was probably the reason why he was being so well-behaved around her. That made her smirk to herself. If all of the Outlanders were like this, the Pridelanders had no reason to fear. They weren't a problem anyways, their number too small to even make an impact upon the savannah. "Oh, I'm so scared, sugar," she replied in a sarcastic drawl. As if to prove how unconcerned she was, she flopped down and laid on her side, watching him with idle disinterest. "The warning's nice, baby, but I'd see them coming long before they saw me." Well, at least she hoped her visions would be useful to her and keep her safe. They hadn't brought her to trouble yet.
"Then why not leave? If the pride is going to die out, I don't see the point in sticking around in it. It's why I'm here, the Pridelands will always prosper. I've got a bunch of family to back me up, when they decide to stop being pansy asses." Her tail flicked idly over her leg, the perfect picture of relaxation. "Well, sugar, I don't think you're going to get many members sitting around chit chatting. Your queen must be so disappointed in you."
Niruzu felt is teeth grit as the lioness began to speak again, her words washing over him and leaving behind a sense of complete irritation. Oh, how he'd like to shove a rock down her throat just to shut her up, or maybe strangle her with one of those damn necklaces. The air of superiority wafting off of her was almost enough to make him want to vomit. He did honestly wish that Sukari was around, she'd probably give the girl a nice smash to the face, a pretty scar - what would she have to be so vain of then? He grunted at that thought, frowning to himself. Their violent tendencies must be getting to him to make him think such a way.
"If you think so," he said in a clipped voice, teeth grinding against one another as he lashed his tail. He wanted to turn and walk away, but something about her was nagging at him, something familiar but not all at once. He wanted to figure out what the hell it was and be on his way, but as most gut feelings worked, his wasn't piping up and being very clear at the moment.
"Why not leave? Have you got an honorable bloody bone in that body of yours?" He snorted, tossing his head to get a bit of mane out of it. Oh, he once knew nothing of honor, but having his life threatened every day and being forced to raise cubs he'd actually never wanted with a lioness he couldn't stand, well, it'd taught him a few lessons. He'd actually come to love them all, to boot. "Some things mean more than your own comfort, although you don't seem like you'd know much about that princess." Just watching her laying there, without a care in the world, covered in jewelry - it was obvious she was spoiled and it made him sick.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:20 pm
Oh, she was getting on his nerves! She could just hear his teeth grinding together in effort to keep him from saying something nasty to her. It wasn't like she'd get horribly offended anyways, she was used to it. She even entertained some morbid curiosity of what he would say to her if he let himself. But, he seemed to have some amount of control, and what a pity it was. Kat fought dirty, mentally and physically, though she often avoided physical confrontation for the sake of keeping her jewelry intact. That was one thing that would be sure to piss her off, someone dinking around and scratching her valued items.
"Because I'm not supposed to," she said airily. Some part of her enjoyed only alluding to the fact that she was a seer. She hoped it frustrated him enough to leave. She wasn't supposed to, because she was listening to her vision. He, though, was unaware of the circumstances. He could get up and leave whenever he wanted and not feel the same obligation she felt to stay. "So, let's see. What will make you leave quicker? Do I say something insulting about your personality or appearance?" she mused to herself, though her words were spoken loud and clear, just for him to hear.
"You want more members for your pride, or you want what your queen wants, and that is what she desires. Oooo, baby, you're so simple." Tired of laying on the ground, she sat herself back up, paw brushing imaginary dirt off of her shoulder. "But I wouldn't be willing to just let you take some of the Pridelanders. What a dilemma. I'll just have to insult you until you leave, unless you have some other conclusion? Though, I don't suspect you do, baby."
"Why on earth is it so important that I bloody leave?" he said with a slight grump. This was ******** free land as far as he was concerned and that meant he didn't have to go anywhere. "I don't want any of the damn pridelanders anyway. For as wise as you think you are, you don't know the first thing about Outlanders. They don't like you and your pride very much, they'd probably rather have a god than a pridelander." Which was saying something, considering they didn't believe in those things. He knew they were real, of course, how could he not?
Though, at her comment to insult him until he left, he just snorted, which somehow faded into laughter. Strange, since he hadn't laughed in a while, no matter that it was cold and full of spite. "You'd have to try pretty ******** hard if you're going to insult me enough to make me leave, I'm willing to bet you haven't got a damn thing on-" And that was when it hit him, like a ton of bricks, tossed by a gorilla, straight into his ******** head.
He snapped his jaw shut and turned his head away, teeth gritting once more. What a foolish thing not to recognize. He couldn't take this, not right now. He simply turned away from her then, fighting not to unsheath his claws and dig up the earth as he went - which meant his pace was pretty slow.
Well, there was certainly a truth in the slew of Niruzu's slightly angry words. She knew nothing about the Outlanders, simply because she did not care. They weren't a threat to her, especially if Niruzu was one of their prime examples. The Pridelanders, while having their fair share of tragedies, seemed to be a powerful, strong and united force. Nothing would put a dent in their system, especially not some scrawny half-dead Outlanders. "Aww, baby, they're just jealous," she teased lightly. It was definitely a sign that she was enjoying herself. He was so much more fun when he was pissy.
She seemed unruffled by his laughter, staring at him cooly, though her lips quirked up in amusement. Ah, she really was getting to him at this point! Her lips pulled further back, her smile turning into a grin. She swore she could see his that very brick that metaphorically hit Niruzu in the head when it dawned on him that yeah, she could very well have something on him. She didn't, her visions didn't enjoy enlightening her on it. But, it was a nice thought.
One moment she was wanting him to leave, and the next she was enjoying herself by following him. She lifted her haunches, setting off after the smaller lion and walking mock-companionably by his side. "Your queen would be so disappointed with you, baby."
"Maybe so," he said through gritted teeth, "but at least they aren't pansies." Oh, he knew about the history. The rivalry, the fact that they thought whatshisname was the true king, all that. He also knew that despite their greed and jealousy of that, the Outlands lions were fierce, tough. Moo had found comfort in it, of all places, and he thought the old brute would never find comfort in a damn thing. Those cubs of his were going to be slit throats, no doubt - he'd have to start keeping one eye open in his sleep. Moo might be more companionable towards him, but that new mate of his was a b***h.
Why didn't it surprise him that the little wretch followed him? Oh, maybe because that's exactly what she would do. He still had no idea that the female was a seer, that she might possibly have some dirt on him, or that she thought that was what had caused his sudden turn around. No, he was running because he had realized why she was so ******** familiar to him, at least underneath all that vanity. She was a lot of things, but not vain, never vain. His jaw tensed the more he thought of her, the more this presence at his side reminded him of her, his vision blurring as he tried to shove it down.
"I don't give a damn if I'm disappointing her," he growled, turning to stare at her, bright eyes flashing, almost like flames in his anger. "She doesn't know a damn thing. She's never been outside her ******** pride, just like I'm willing to bet you haven't, and neither of you little brats know a ******** thing about the world and what it really has to offer." Oh, he really didn't mean that of the queen, not really. Sukari would have his tongue if she heard it - but he was angry.
As it turns out, the world really doesn't have much to offer, aside from hearbreak.
"The Pridelands are stronger than you think," and throughout all of this, she didn't seem the least bit angry. It took a lot to ruffle her fur, though it was obvious that she was sensitive about her jewelry and appearance. She'd even get angry if someone went as far as to directly insult her family. They were a large, motley crew, but she loved them. She did avoid the new cubs like the plague - little wretches that they were. But, even then she would protect them.
"But she's your queen, sugar. I thought you did everything for her pleasure," she taunted lightly. Oh, but it was so fun to see him upset. She liked how his voice became throaty after he growled. It was rough and masculine... and what a weird way to think. She shook her head, lips tugging down into a critical frown. She hadn't found Niruzu all that attractive in the beginning. His coat had marvelous markings, but he was small and his fur was scruffy. There was something unappealing about being larger than him. But, he was showing life through his anger, and that was appealing.
How strange.
"It's not my time to leave you, yet," she replied in that same tone of voice that alluded to something, but really gave no hint. Either way, the statement was complete and utter bullshit. She was sure she wasn't obligated to remain in Niruzu's presence by now, but she was enjoying herself. "I'm Kat, by the way, baby." She didn't feel the need to give him her full name, because she rather despised the feminity of it. Katiti'manina. How much more girly could a name get?
So it was Kat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:22 pm
"Not from what I've gathered. Lazy bones pride that you are, didn't even come to rescue one of your own when a mental case kidnapped her," he muttered, half to himself, half to her. He had seen that Kadaj fellow about, didn't think he was that mentally stable - probably mind ******** from that father of his. He'd heard all sorts of things, but hadn't been around to witness first hand. He did, however, know that Kadaj had a pridelander girl in his cave - his 'guest', or 'prize' or whatever he was calling her these days. He always referred to her as 'his' though. What was worse was that she seemed perfectly happy.
"That's you putting ******** words in my mouth," he growled again, "I do it for the pride. The bloody, god damn pride, you got that?" He threw a glance down at her, face set in a grimace. Oh, but his fur was probably near to standing on end at this point. "You obey your queen for the good of the pride, not because it's her ******** pleasure." Ashiki wouldn't demand anyone do a damn thing because it was her pleasure, he was fairly certain, at least not seriously. She did love mind games though, so who knew. He didn't try to figure them out.
"Well, I wish you the best of luck then, because I'm heading home, and once we get past the border I'm not goin to be responsible for who takes your ******** head off first, Kat," he hissed it, eyes narrowing on the horizon. Oh, he repeated her name to let her know he'd heard, but he didn't give enough of a s**t to tell her his. He'd always thought his name was disgustingly fitting, though it went in cycles. I abandon hope, oh, what a fitting, sick little name.
"From what you gathered," she said chastisingly, "You must not be very smart." But, his words did have her thinking. She knew her grandfather had lost a daughter somehow, and that he couldn't find her no matter where he looked. So that was where she had wandered off to. Wisely she decided to keep this information to herself, figuring that Ezeoha would go barging in to the Outlands on a suicide mission to get his long-lost daughter back. It was unneccessary drama, and it didn't need to be brought up when it had finally settled down into the past.
God, her grandpa would hate her if he knew. Oh well.
"Baby, you're puffing up from all your anger." A brow rose delicately up her forehead, the perfect picture of calm. A small part of her was hoping that being so calm would just irritate the hell out of him. It was so amusing to see his fur stand on end, and he actually seemed like a lion when he was upset. When he wasn't, she could easily mistaken him for a lioness. If they met again after this, she would have to enlighten him as to this fact. It would be sure to put a damper in his fragile mood.
"Anyways, I think your logic is faulty when it comes to obeying a queen. I imagine you'd do it even if it wasn't good for the pride. I'm not sure I would even call you guys a pride, more like a group of riff raffs, barely controlled. It is dangerous to be stealing from the Pridelands, and not all that smart." She cocked her head at him. "We're over a hundred strong, and we could come raining down on your parade any time we saw fit. Your pride must be looney."
Once again, she didn't care that she didn't receive his name. Instead, she continued to follow him. "I'm not all that worried, baby. If you live your life by fear, I don't think that's living at all." It was a headstrong, stupid move, but Kat was enjoying herself. She'd follow Niruzu for the time being, and trust that her vision wasn't about to screw her over permanently.
He growled lightly as his eyes narrowed at the horizon - they'd be passing the borders into the outlands any time now. Why the ******** wasn't Sukari somewhere useful for once? Probably too busy cooing over those little runts. "Maybe so, but I'm betting the Outlands are more loyal to each other than half the lions in your bloody pride." He snorted and shook his head, though his voice still held a growling tone. He didn't give a s**t if it was wise or not to steal from the pride, they didn't care enough to come after her. "Obvious enough, considering Kaya is still in that den without a bit of her family around." They would let her rot there. He supposed it was lucky Kadaj actually seemed to care in his own ******** up way.
"You'd never survive outside your pampered little world," he said with a sudden peal of laughter, eyes shutting as he did so. It was possibly a mental break, but then, he had every right in the world. "Fear keeps you alive, twirp, it's all there is to living sometimes," oh and didn't he know it. Fear had been what made him weary, helped him avoid things when he lived alone. He couldn't escape everything, no, but he had gotten away with scars instead of death. His pelt showed all the beatings he'd taken, all the times he'd had his meals ripped out of his clutches, or his jaw smashed for looking at someone the wrong way. He didn't have much to fear anymore though, not with Moo around.
Isn't that some Irony, too? Moo wanted him dead once.
"Why don't you run back home to your little family and leave us scruffy riff raffs to ourselves? Especially with all that jewelry, Sukari or Ashiki might take a liking to some of it." He doubted it, but if she pissed them off, they'd probably strip her bare and toss the s**t in a pit just to prove a point.
She didn't feel the least bit anxious as the smell of the Pridelands grew weaker and weaker, but she was a headstrong lioness, and even now Niruzu was beginning to grate on her nerves. With a pained sigh, she stared dully ahead, trying to figure out how to phrase her next words. "You know nothing of the Pridelands, we're closer than you think." She rolled her eyes at him, belittling him with every look she gave him and with every word that came from her. "For all you know, her niece could be waltzing into the Outlands to save her right now." Oh, what a horrible half-truth that statement was. If Kat could even be bothered to walk into the heart of the Outlands, it certainly wouldn't be to rescue her aunt. She wasn't going to risk her hide like that.
"You're not strong enough to be a lion if you had to live off of fear." Her blue eyes fixed hard upon his face, and it was clear that her opinion of him seemed little. In the end, she wasn't sure she cared much about Niruzu beyond the fact that he was keeping her entertained. It was a hard find, to discover a lion pissy enough for the whole savannah. But, Niruzu fit the bill. "Strength, power, will, and luck keep you alive. If you're lucky enough, even the gods will gift you." She believed in gods, how could she not when she saw things no lion should be able to see? But did she care much about them beyond that? Not really. They were just another part of the world, doing their own thing and not bothering with mortals.
"They would not find it enjoyable to take my jewelry, baby. I can steal it back far more efficiently than they can steal it from me." She shrugged her shoulders, keeping pace with Niruzu for the time being. "I'll leave in a bit when I know why I was supposed to meet you today, baby."
"Does that make you here neice then? I don't think anyone else would be dimwitted enough to walk in here." He knew at this point, if anyone saw her walking with him, they'd probably just assume he was taking her to Ashiki. ********, but why couldn't Sukari be in a mood? Or that Chrno fellow in one of his fits? He wouldn't mind having her shut up. "If you want to go play with Kadaj, go right ahead, but he's one sick ******** b*****d." He didn't even try to sugarcoat it - Kadaj was ******** up.
He did stop, though, as she tried to tell him what strength was. As she tried to tell him that fear wasn't worthy to live off of. He stopped and turned to look at her, eyes narrowed. For a minute, he didn't say anything, he just watched her, teeth gritting. Finally, he let out a hiss. "What would you know, you brat? You had a ******** family, a ******** pride. Fear is what you use to stay alive, you little witch. Want to know my name? Niruzu. ******** think about it." He growled, turning to start walking again. What had his mother been like to name him that? Worse off than him, probably. Had he been the product of some tragedy? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.
He did, however, laugh at the thought of the gods gifting the extremely lucky. "I think you've got that backwards, love. The gods don't gift the lucky, they gift the poor and broken," he chuckled again, shutting his eyes. It was a strange mixture, anger and laughter. Oh, but he would know, he would. "I don't honestly care why you think you were supposed to be here, it seems pretty useless so far."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:25 pm
"No, I don't think it would make me her niece. I'm not in the rescuing mood," and that was the blunt truth of it. She was loyal to her family, sure, but only so far. She thought her grandfather a little perverted, and she saw no reason to go out of her way to rescue a lioness she did not know. Perhaps if Kaya was in the way on her way back to the Pridelands, she'd make a pit stop for her. But, really, if the lioness didn't like her position here in the Outlands, Kat was sure that she would have been able to escape. "Oh, and isn't the Outlands just a lovely, close-knit family of crazies?"
She took a step or two ahead of him, not realizing immediately that he had stopped. When she did noticed, she glanced casually over her shoulder, fixing him with a cool stare. She let him growl and fuss at her, but in the end she was genuinely shocked. Was he really... throwing a hissy fit over a name? She laughed, rich, amused laughter. She stood there and just laughed. This lion was ******** up, an emotional idiot and ill-equipped mentally. But, when she managed to curb her amusement, she went off after him again. Maybe she was supposed to teach him something - perhaps that would satisfy her vision's requirements. "It's a ******** name, baby. Stop using it as an excuse. If you don't like it, you can change it. It's that ******** simple, you have the power to change your life. Fear makes you weak, it may keep you alive but it doesn't make you live."
Ugh, she hated preaching. It was annoying, especially since she hadn't meat anyone quite as stupid as the lion next to her. With a pained sigh, she closed her eyes for a few seconds to clear her mind. "Sometimes it's useful, and sometimes it isn't. I don't think I'm done here, so I'm staying for the time being. If I don't all I'm going to see is you, and I'm in no mood for that kind of migraine."
"No," he said, short and clipped. It wasn't a close-knit family of crazies, because most of that family, from what he had gathered, had actually left. Kadaj's parents had gone back to the pridelands, Ashiki's mother was dead, and her sister had vanished. They were going to be more strangers than family soon, especially if he and Moo were any indication.
"It's no excuse," he snorted, tossing a glance at her over his shoulder, "it's a ******** point. My life is the excuse, though I don't know why the hell I'm even bothering to explain this to you anyway. It's obvious you just want to tell me to forget everything that's ever happened." Oh, how he wished he could. Amnesia or something would be a gift right about now. Why couldn't Dili have been the goddess of memories instead of truth?
He could see the termite mounds by now, and by his guess, they were into the pride. Was she seriously going to keep following him? "If you keep following me, I'm going to take you to the damn queen, I hope you know that."
She'd never been faced with more of a pity-me story than that of Niruzu's life. If he wanted to change it, he would have, and he would have stopped dwelling on the fact that his life was basically an excuse. She just didn't see how this pride, which supposedly valued strength, would let someone who wasn't strong within their borders. Niruzu seemed to have the idea that his life controlled him, and he did not control his life. She had to shake her head at that thought. What had this lion been through to become this way? She was sure she really didn't care to know.
"You're explaining it to me because you're needy, baby. You want someone to listen to you b***h and moan. I'm all ears, sugar." She rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. At least she really was listening to him, even if she didn't give a rat's a** about what was actually being said.
She knew she was getting a little too far into the Outlands, but from the expression upon her face, she seemed unworried. She would just have to hope that someone would think twice about attacking her, which would give her enough time to strike back. At his comment about following him, she laughed, turning her head to smirk challenging at him. "Good, I'll be sure to inform her how much her pride sucks."
He snorted at her and turned to look at her for a moment, tail lashing. "Sorry, princess, I've already had someone much more appealing to pour my heart out to." Dili had been good for him, she soothed the raw edges of his pain, even if it hadn't been in quite a way he'd expected of the goddess.
However, as she mentioned going up to the queen and telling her how stupid her pride was, he stopped and turned to face her. "Look, you little brat, I suggest you watch your ******** tongue now. I don't give a damn what the hell you say to me, I've heard it all and worse no doubt, but the queen will cut that tongue out of your pretty little head if you say one cross word to her and don't think she won't." He threw a glance around him, a paranoid little gleam to it. "You better hope Sukari or Chrno weren't around to hear that. They're both ******** masters of hiding in this god forsaken land."
He growled lightly and turned again, shaking his head. "You need to learn a little fear, or at least wise up to who is a possible danger to you. This isn't your pretty little pride, it's not sunshine and rainbows."
"I'm so hurt that I come in second to you," she replied with another sarcastic roll of her eyes. If he had already poured his heart out to someone, why couldn't he just get over what had happende to him in the past and move on to bigger and better things in store for his future? She didn't get why he was so hung up over it. He needed to develop a whole new philosophy for life, or she imagined he'd live out the rest of it genuinely unhappy on the inside.
She blinked in surprise when his gaze was suddenly boring into her own, taking an automated step back away from him. Well now he had something to say, and she couldn't discern whether he was warning her for her good or his own. She was more likely to believe that he was covering his own a**. "Well, it doesn't surprise me that you guys don't have a lot of members, if she's scaring them all off." But, she was considering being more careful about what she said from this point on. It seemed a little late to walk back home, and so she would resign herself into seeing where this excursion led her. "You're scared of them," she observed carefully. "They must be creepy then."
With a soft sigh, she walked out in front of him, batting his nose with the hair of her tail. Why? Because she very damned well could, and she wanted to see his reaction. She imagined he'd get pissy all over again. "I'm not stupid, baby, I know full well what I'm doing." She shook her head, and made herself wait for him to take the lead again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:27 pm
He watched her as she came to the realization that he was afraid of them, and the corner of his mouth twitched. Was it a frown or a smirk? Who could tell? "You're damn right," he said lowly, "and Ashiki might not be the strongest, but she's the queen because she's got a mind few could challenge, and she'll ******** you mentally until you're not even sure of who you are. That blue boy of hers'll slit anyone's throat that even thinks of double-crossing her, to boot." Hell, he didn't like her, and he thought she deserved a good knocking about, but he didn't want her to die he supposed. At least not by Ashiki.
He growled lightly as she batted her tail at his nose, his paw half-raising to pin it to the ground before he stopped himself. He put it back down with some degree of enforced self control, and started to trot after her. "I hope you do, I'd hate to see someone scar that pretty little face of yours. They'd do it just to spite you for being so ******** vain." Well, he wasn't going to sugarcoat anything if she was such a b***h.
They were getting close to the termite mound, and he found his pace slowing. He wanted to let her turn around, walk away. Why, he couldn't say. Probably just because he was associating her with.. her, and he'd be damned if he'd have let any of them get ahold of her.
She was beginning to believe him, that this wasn't just a walk in the park. Kat knew well enough that the Outlands really weren't a place that the Pridelanders liked to mess around with. There was hostility for sure, but she wasn't about to cower back and whimper because of it. She'd face trouble head on, and she'd not regret her actions. Kat honestly did not know why she wasn't turning around and heading back home, she should have a long time ago after having spoken with Niruzu for a little bit. But, it was too late now. She was going to go through with this, and see what came of it. "I imagine that this is a very happy pride," she murmured sarcastically to herself.
"Are you genuinely caring about me, or thinking about how my presence will reflect on you?" she asked idly. Again she was on her way, likely to meet a queen who would hate her on sight. Oh well, she'd make this work. She would figure out a way to make this end up in her favor some how. Maybe there was a little treasure in these forsaken lands that she could take home with her. "My face will be fine," she assured him and herself.
Her mind was beginning to work, musing over thoughts and ideas that would assure her safety and well-being throughout all of this. Was she beginning to get concerned? Yes, though it didn't show through her facade of self-assurance and cockiness. Showing weakness to them wouldn't be a good thing. She was going to be herself, which meant no one would get her down. "Don't you concern yourself with me, baby. I hear they smell fear, so you better watch yourself," she teased half-heartedly.
"I'm not sure," he said, frowning lightly, his brows drawn down into a deep 'V'. He didn't know if he cared about what happened to her, or if he was making some kind of ******** up connection that he thus cared about. Who bloody knew. "I'm not really that concerned with how you're goin to reflect on me, though. To be honest, I don't think I could do much wrong. As much as she says I irritate her, the queen's right hand is mated to my father-in-law and she won't betray him." His place was pretty safe, as far as he was concerned.
At her comment about smelling fear, he wasn't sure that was very far off the mark. "I think you might be right about that fear thing though, they found me pretty fast," he would have laughed, but he was getting increasingly confused as time wore on with her. This was just supposed to be a run-of-the-mill border walk, he hadn't meant to pick up such annoying baggage.
With a sigh, he stopped short of the termite mound, the scent of the queen strong. Before he called out for her (because outsiders weren't particularly welcome inside), he turned to look at her. "We're here princess, you sure you don't want to go home?"
"Well, then I wouldn't bust a blood vessel trying to figure it out. The reason will come to you in time, baby." Again she seemed the picture of carelessness. Her posture was relaxed, her movements slow and languid. She moved as if she wasn't in a dangerous pride's territory. She moved as if she were home in the Pridelands, safe from anything that would wish her harm. It was better to act confident than to let her discomfort seep through her facade. "It must be nice to have connections. But, baby, ties only stretch so far."
She laughed at his comment, and it was a rather good-natured laugh. If she was going to be in foreign territory, she was going to let herself find amusement in the little things. "I could have smelled your fear from a mile away, even if I hadn't seen you." She was beginning to notice that he seemed more ill at ease in the Outlands, his pridal territory, than the Pridelands. She wondered what the queen was really like to have her own members somewhat scared of her. Kat was sure that this wasn't how a pride should run, if Niruzu was a prime example of one of its members.
"I'm sure, sweetcheeks. I think I gotta be here, y'know? It's one of those things that I don't think you'd understand, baby." She stopped beside him, taking a seat with a composed expression. "This is what you get for being late, baby."
He snorted at the comment about ties, rolling his eyes to look at her. "You've obviously never met Moo," he said lowly, tail twitching. He wasn't sure what to be more frightened of - physical power or mental power. Moo or Sukari could slaughter him, but Ashiki could probably make him cry like a cub before making him go completely mental. It was a dangerous pride, but then, as much as he seemed to fear it, he was also right at home.
"I still maintain that fear is a good thing to have, no matter your opinion," he shrugged, his irrtation having melted away at this point. There was no point in going into a meeting with Ashiki being snarky - she'd probably have Chrno rough him up, or maybe Sukari just to embarass him.
"Well, then I suppose it's time you met our queen. You probably lucked out that it's Ashiki and not her sister, though I can't say by how much, cause I never met the legacy herself," he said with a smirk, turning and beginning to cross the last little ways to the main termite mound. It was now or never, and maybe Ashiki would scare her off for good and he could forget the female that reminded him terribly of someone he'd rather forget.
What a terrible day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
