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 Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:41 pm
Atia was taking a short break. Besides, she had her children off on their various tasks getting stronger and smarter... she certainly couldn't go about coddling them and such nonsense. This time was so much different than her first litter when she had been so much younger... Well, she had slaves then to take the children off her mind when she was sick of dealing with their petty needs and complaints. Where on earth were they going to get in life if they kept being so selfish and needy? Honestly if Beau were around more...
...Scratch that. If Beau were around more, then they would go weak and soft-headed like he was. Not that she didn't like Beau, she did. His absence of ambition was something that she found very relaxing at times... but if her children proved to be as useless as their father was then... Well, she'd simply have to get rid of them. Weak had to be weeded from the strong, that was just the way of the world. She had done it in her first litter, why not her second? Of course... now they were all dead anyway. That damned earthquake... and some of them had showed such promise. They had really understood what it meant to be loyal to the pride and to Caesar.
All of these whispers... she couldn't stand them, and was beginning to wish her children were older so she might cull those who called Maximus weak. Perhaps simply off his pathetic mate while she was at it. But there were too many who were new to the pride... too many she didn't know if she could trust. She had to get to know more about them. Nuzzle up. Listen in, like she had when she was younger... the Caesar bloodline had to survive, at any cost.
Perhaps she would assign her own children to Maximus' children in order to watch them better... make sure that no idiots tried to take any of them, or step on her plans. The children were strong... and hers would protect them. She would see to that.
"This cannot continue..." She whispered angrily. It was true, Maximus was a soft and kind soul. She had to keep the rest of the world from harming or tainting him... She had promised his mother she would keep him safe. And even if she had to sacrifice her own children she would protect him.
Just as she had done her entire life.
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:25 pm
 Risasi had been training harder than usual. He worked hard every day, exhausting himself regularly, just to make himself stronger. He didn't know why, but he felt like he needed to, that he wasn't doing well enough despite all his normal efforts. He was a Gladiator: he needed to be ready for anything and, really, he didn't think that he was.
The rumblings within the pride weren't helping, either.
He heard pride members talking about Maximus, their Caesar, indicating that they thought he was getting too soft. After a litter of cubs he seemed to be growing weaker, according to them, as their leader. Risasi didn't think he agreed. What was there to prove that he was not as strong as any of their other leaders? True enough, he was the only one Risasi had ever known, but he was a good one. One Risasi had pledged himself to.
He would serve him loyally, regardless of what everyone else was saying.
What if there came a time when his strength was tested? Would everyone be behind him to support him? Or would they let him struggle on his own, to see his worth for themselves? He didn't like that idea. A pride was a unit. Their leader was the most important member of their livelihood, true enough, but a strong leader was made from a strong pride. If he was weak, then were they?
Risasi didn't know.
He looked up and spotted a familiar form walking in, what he imagined, was as pensive a posture as he must have had. He allowed himself to smile a bit, padding closer.
"Hello, Atia," he said pleasantly, finding himself genuinely happy to see the older leopardess. It felt like too long since he had last seen here, and now he couldn't really remember why he had been feeling like he needed to talk to her about something bad, "how are you?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:25 pm
Atia was a little suprised by how glad she was to see Risasi. Sure, to her he was just a pawn and an idiot -like pretty much everyone was- but she was fairly certain that he was on her side. And it was good to have someone on your side with whispers like there were. He was strong, a powerful future gladiator... one who she may be able to convince to fight on her, and Caesar's side if the time came. She wasn't certain that he would be a valuable assassin or not, if need be... but that kind of action could be taught.
"Risasi... I wish I could say I were well." She admitted as much. Damsel in distress had always worked so well when speaking with Risasi. And even if she was honestly upset about something, anyone looking in would believe she was faking it to win him over anyway. "Raising children at my age is... more difficult than I had expected. Especially on my own when some of them are... disrespectful of their place. But they are learning. I do miss having slaves to help... but enough complaining from an old woman. How have you fared Risasi? Your training goes well, does it?" She asked, smiling at him. She managed to look worn and regal at the same time.
That had taken a while to grasp. But she had a long time to learn. After all, she intended to live to see four Caesars, possibly five, if she could do as much.
Frankly, she never intended to die if she could.
She would ease in the talk about Caesar, just to insure that if Risasi wasn't already, he would be, on her side. On Maximus' side. Though it seemed unlikely to her that having a family would seem, to this boy anyway, like a weakness. Risasi was... a family creature. A shame he would never have one of his own.
She would have looked forward to manipulating his children.
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:07 pm
Risasi tilted his head. She did look a bit upset, and he could sense there was something off in the air. One day he would be able to tell when someone was tricking him, with all the experience he was getting now, but as it stood he still felt she was being honest with him. He frowned thoughtfully.
He nodded, "I thought it was maybe that," he said, trying not to insult her about her age or the cubs. It wasn't his place to point out that she had given birth to cubs with a rogue, and that she was pretty old to be doing that kind of thing. She probably remembered those things every day, whether she felt bad about them or not. Maybe she didn't? So why should he?
"I've been pretty diligent in my training," he confessed with a hint of pride in his progress. His muscles and build reflecting his efforts. He looked much more like a gladiator now, with his thick legs and round shoulders carved rather than looking as doughy as they had when he had first arrived. He had shed the weight of his old, cushy life and donned the sleek form of someone befitting the title he had chosen to earn.
"I had a nice little day with one of your cubs," he said, smiling and offering her a bit of reprieve. If news that he liked her children could be considered that, anyway, "he's a good kid, that Lucianus. A bit intense, sometimes, but I think we got along pretty well. If you need any help with them, or someone to look after them so you can get some rest, he knows where my den is. I wouldn't mind looking after them some time."
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:31 pm
"Lucien?" Atia asked tilting her head thoughtfully, "Oh he's a very smart little one isn't he? A little... anti-social for his age, but I'm hoping that some of the other kids will make him come out a little... Sullie, Octavian and Amara are a little easier to be around in that sense. Though they are all showing promise... Perhaps I will let them stay with you one day. I'm sure I'm harsh sometimes..." Well, she was extremely deliberatly harsh with them. But it would be good for them to be around more... average members of the pride.
"I'm glad to see that you're doing so well. That you improved shows that you have a real tallent for this." She told him, meaning that much. More useful... the stronger he was, the more useful he was. "I'm glad... because it seems that you may need to use your strength in the near future."
To protect Caesar... who knew how far the stupider members of the pride would go to try and usurpe his position. Idiots who didn't know better. She would have to find a way to deal with them in the near future... if only her sons were still alive... They would be useful in this case.
Business as usual.
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Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 12:01 pm
"It took a little to get him to open up, but I think he means well," Risasi smiled. He knew they were all going to be a lot like their mother, and wondered if that was going to be a good thing. He liked Atia, of course. Loved her, even, and had promised to protect her. Still, he knew she had a reputation and, more than just words, lived up to it in a lot of ways.
But he couldn't judge her for that: her life must have called for such habits and actions, while his had always been fairly simple and innocent.
He looked up when she mentioned needing his strength, ears folding back thoughtfully. He nodded, knowing what she was alluding to and not needing her to elaborate. The rumblings within the pride hadn't been lost to him.
"I hope there aren't any members like that, like I've been hearing, who would want to go and try and take over. But I know from what people have been saying that they're not happy. If it happens, I will stay loyal to my Caesar. He's the one that allowed me to live here, and for that I will always serve him. They say he's weak, but I don't see it."
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:59 am
Atia smiled. Good, Risasi had heard the whispers around the pride... she wouldn't have to tell him. "Nor do I... but it doesn't stop me from worrying about him. I was good friends with his mother, did I ever tell you that? When she died, I swore to her that I would always protect her son... and I keep my promises Risasi." She took her oath very seriously. When she made a promise, she usually kept it. Usually. But this one was special, and she would always protect Maximus. At the cost of her children and her life, she would keep Maximus safe from anyone who tried to go against him.
"I hope that no members of the pride are truly against him... I believe in him and his purity of spirit for our pride. I have always strived to keep him from such..." She hissed a little, "Distasteful rumors. And I shall continue to do so... for I have never feared what anyone thinks of me." As long as they were afraid of her on too of whatever their other feelings were. Unless she had fooled them into liking her, like she had with Risasi.
But then, for the most part, she liked Risasi. He was simple. The rest of her life... tended to get unnessisarily complicated at times. Not that she would have had it any other way.
"I am glad of your loyalty. It means much to me that an outsider... of all people an outsider choses to stay loyal when other members of the pride do not." Atia growled under her breath, but then composed herself, smiling on him, "We may need to count on each other in the days to come Risasi. I can do much... but I cannot protect Maximus on my own."
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:17 am
Risasi shook his head.
"I didn't know that, no," he said. She knew the Caesar's mom quite well? That wasn't all that surprising. She spoke about her friends in high places, and how long she had been an important member of the pride. And still was, of course. He nodded. He knew what swearing to do something meant. He nodded. "I do too."
"I believe in him, too," he said, feeling lame for just agreeing with everything. But it was how he felt. He swallowed, looking thoughtful, "I don't like the way everyone is talking. Well. Not everyone, I guess. But there are still a lot of guys talking about it, for good or bad. I don't know. No one seems to want to say anything louder than a whisper, though."
He shook his head, "I don't consider myself an outsider any more. I hope you don't. This is my home, and I'll protect it like I've always been here. Like my blood runs from here. I'll help you however I can, you know that. I already promised. And I'll promise for the Caesar's sake, too."
He nodded, looking serious. More so than he had done in the past. He was growing up here, and it was doing him good. He was a noble creature, though his eagerness to please coupled with how innocent he really was would do him more harm than good with his current company. Still, he was looking more and more like a gladiator every day.
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:54 pm
Atia watched him and sighed. "You remind me of my sons... My first sons, not my most recent..." Her sons... she didn't often speak of her children from her first litter with Cato. It had been a long time ago, and they were all dead now. Long gone. "They were powerful gladiators in the pride... everyone believed they were Caesar's most loyal warriors. I wish they were here now." Not entirely lying, but then, Atia prefurred little half-truths. That way she could remember what she had said and what she hadn't without having to think too hard on the subject, "You remind me a great deal of them... perhaps kinder than my eldest, and more focused than my youngest... but I believe you will be one of the greatest of the Binadamu some day Risasi."
In fact, she was counting on it. And what better way to go about teaching him how than to go about doing so with traitors? After all, they'd have to die if little whispers and rumors became treason... and Atia had never been a figure of mercy.
Quite the opposite.
"You did not grow up here, this I know... but I feel as though you grasp your place better than many who did. I saw you as an outsider when you first came here, but you have shown time and time again to be a true member of the pride." She smiled at him, looking thoughtful, "So no, Risasi, I don't consider you an outsider anymore. This is where you belong."
By her side protecting Maximus. By all accounts, the right side. And Risasi did not seem to be the traitorus type, unlike her, who would throw any ally to the dogs if it meant defending Caesar. And she would protect him at any cost.
She had already lost children doing so... a few more sacrifices wouldn't hurt, one way or the other.
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 4:54 pm
Risasi listened, ears perked a bit forward. He tried not to look too eager, just intent and polite. He hadn't heard much of her family from before, since she never seemed to speak of them. Maybe it was too difficult for her. Though, really, he hadn't ever seen anything be too tough for her yet. She just didn't seem like the kind of leopard who had weaknesses.
But family was different, wasn't it?
He smiled a bit, more affected by her liking him to her first litter than her comment on his future status in the pride. His goal wasn't to be the best just to be the best. He wanted to be as strong as he could, as good as he could, because he wanted to protect his pride and those he cared about most. His only limit was himself. It wasn't a competition or an ego thing. He didn't need to be recognized for it, he just needed to know and believe that he was always doing the best he could.
He nodded when she said he belonged. That, too, meant a lot to him.
Sighing, he looked up at the sky.
"I guess I should be heading back out, take one more look around the pride and check in on a few friendly faces before the day gets too late." He smiled at her. He heard many different things about her, but as far as he was concerned she was his friend. Everyone had their flaws. She was no different, and neither was he.
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:12 pm
Atia watched him. Truly, she didn't believe she had any weaknesses... and loathed to admit how much she missed her children, who had been raised so well... been such proud, strong, trusted members of the pride... so fond of Caesar, and him of them. She missed their strength and clarity in the face of all adversity.
Perhaps... perhaps she would find a way to mold Risasi as she had molded them. It would be enjoyable, would it not? And she did miss some of the old complications when the pride had been larger.
"Ah... yes, perhaps that would be best." She said with a fond nod. After all, for intents and purposes, she did rather like Risasi. She still intended to use him and dump him when she no longer required his services... but for now, she quite liked him.
He would probably be useful for many years to come. And who knew? Perhaps he would remain useful until she died... and afterwards, as he was still young.
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Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:53 pm
"Alrighty!"
He said with his casual, youthful ease that came so easily to him. Nodding his head, he moved and nuzzled her slightly in parting before turning his muscular frame away. Padding down the path, he looked back and flicked his tail, offering her a reassuring smile for no reason before turning back.
His head was a bit full of thoughts and things to consider, but he still felt pretty content. Maybe some training would help him out.
"See you later!"
It was called over his shoulder as he padded away. He moved faster, skipping out into a run to give his legs a work out and let out some of this pent up energy. All the training gave him a lot more energy, and he was finding he had to occupy himself a lot more these days.
And he was happier for it.
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